Their Light, Their Shadow (Temporary Hiatus)
by Meiko Atsushi
Summary: When Kuroko Tetsuya becomes the Shadow of Teiko, her life takes a 180 degree turn. Meeting the Generation of Miracles was her fortunate fate - or so they believed. Everyone has their own problems... "Don't make love if it won't last." "Don't be a Light when you aren't going to shine." "Don't make promises you know you'll break." Fem!Kuroko x ? Teiko AU. Temporary hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

" _We were like broken pieces of glass. We were from the same place, but we didn't fit together."_

"Soccer club is open!"

"Hey you, how about joining the shogi club?"

"Are you a fan of baseball? C'mon, you're Japanese! You _have_ to be into baseball!"

Sakura petals enclosing around the school's atmosphere, one girl slipped through the busy crowd, going completely unnoticed. A mystery novel in her hand, she looked up cautiously as she searched for the list of clubs and their specific locations.

 _Basketball…_

"Hey, are you reading a book? How about joining the literature club?"

"This is a phonebook."

"Phone-book? _Book_? A phonebook is a proper book that we can totally go into- wait, why are you bringing a phonebook around?"

"It's the lucky item for the day. As a matter of fact, Oha-Asa stated that today was a good day for Cancers to start out something new and enterprising."

 _Basketball…_

"Young Master, we could take you to the front gate, or possibly escort you inside –"

"I'm fine. I do not really want to stay under father's control, at school. Mind leaving me alone for now, if you would."

"V-very well, Young Master."

 _Where's basketball…_

"Wow… just how _tall_ are you?"

"What? Oh… I don't know…"

"Please, join the volleyball club!"

"No, maybe the football club?"

"Uh…"

 _There's soccer and baseball over there… where's basketball?_

"Oh my gosh, Kise-kun?"

"Hello, all you wonderful beauties – Ah, wait stop pushing first, will you?"

"Autograph and a picture – no, I can't find my phone!"

 _Oh, here it is. Gymnasium 3…_

"Dai-chan, I keep on telling you, you have to join the basketball club! Imagine how popular you'll become at Teiko! I know you best in terms of basketball – come on, I'll even join as a manager and help you!"

"I don't need it – whoa, sorry, are you okay?" The said male turned around as he felt something bump into his arm. The pinkette standing next to him frowned in confusion as she tilted her body sideways to see who it was.

"I don't see anyone, Dai-chan."

The male looked backward at the milling crowd. "Guess it was just me. Let's go."

Cracking open the gym door, the teal-haired girl shyly poked her head out, scanning the huge basketball court. She held her form in one hand, and approached the wooden table that was awkwardly placed in the middle of the gym. She quietly picked up a pen, the captain and the vice captain of the club not seeming to notice her as she did so. She put the pen down and put her form on top of the stack of papers, then left.

"Hey, Shu." The vice captain nudged the still male who was staring blankly at the to-be members who were arguing over the three pens at the table. "There's a new form. Aren't you going to check it?"

As if awakened from his trance, the captain shook his head and blinked thoughtlessly, as he grabbed the only neatly placed form on the stack. "Kuroko Tetsuya…he is from Raidou Grade School…"

"Uh, Shu?" The one called Shu glared at the latter, annoyed with the constant interruption the other was obliged to make. "It's not a 'he'. It's a 'she'." The captain gave the vice captain 'are-you-speaking-of-absurdity" look, as the latter pointed at the special note section. "See? It says: 'I am female. There were no rules that females couldn't join, so I signed up for the all-boys basketball club. Please take care of me.'"

"But Tetsuya is a _boy's_ name."

"Names don't matter in the twenty-first century – there are boys named Haruka and Rin, for god's sake!"

Clucking his tongue in agreement, the captain shoved the paper to the side. "Odd – wouldn't we have noticed if we saw a girl leaving a form on the table?" He questioned, as the vice captain just shrugged without answer.

"Perhaps she came during the rush hour, and we didn't see her. Managers were signing up too, so we might've just not cared at the time."

The captain seemed convinced at that. "Possibly, yeah."

 _ **~TLTS~**_

"Welcome, all of you. I appreciate your passion for basketball, and being inclined to join the Teiko Basketball Club. Us, Teiko – being a school with a long history, we hold tests that will divide you up into different strings, varying from first to third strings. The better you are, the higher string you will get into. Do not worry even if you are placed in one of the lower strings – there is always a chance you can move on to upper strings." Sanada's, the coach, voice boomed throughout the whole gym.

 _First string…_ Kuroko clenched her fists together. A few people were whispering around her about how to get into first string, along with things like 'nobody gets into first string on their first try'.

"Hey, isn't that a girl?"

"Where? I don't see any girl except for those pretty managers over there."

"No, the one with teal hair. You know – the one with the short cut. Kinda bobby hair, short, and really thin."

"What? I really don't see anyone –"

Coach Sanada cleared his throat, as he blew his whistle to gather the divided attention of the students. "Well then, if there is nothing you have to say, then we'll start the tests. All of you, gather around the storage room over there!"

A loud roar of responses echoed around the court as the tests started. Kuroko usually passed most of them being either last place or third to last. She already saw herself in third string, right off the bat.

"Then, I'll announce the people in third string." Coach Sanada read off the names on the list with no hesitation whatsoever. Several groans were heard all around, as Kuroko pleaded within herself that she was at least in string. "…and Kuroko Tetsuya; third string, please gather around the right corner of this court." The girl sighed heavily inward, as she jogged with all the others that were named.

After the **s** econd **s** tring moved to the left corner of the court, all the members were certain that the grouping was over – until Coach Sanada flipped his clipboard over and took out another piece of paper. "And now, I will announce the ones who made it to first string."

Murmurs of disbelief hung in the air.

"What? I thought no one made it to first string on their first try!"

"Someone actually passed?"

The coach waited for the ruckus to calm, and then proceeded onto calling the names of those selected. "Akashi Seijuro, Murasakibara Atsushi, Midorima Shintaro, and Aomine Daiki – please gather at the center of the court."

Many pairs of eyes moved along with the footsteps of the four, as they came to stand with stoic expressions in the middle, between the second and third strings, while others stared at them in admiration.

"Proper club activities will begin tomorrow. Make yourselves prepared, and as for those four who passed first string; have a talk with Nijimura, our captain, and he will tell you whether you will be given a uniform for the starting lineup or not. You are all dismissed."

Kuroko heaved a sigh as she took out her phone, only to see that there was a new message in her inbox.

 _From: Shigehiro Ogiwara_

 _To: Me_

 _How was your first day of school? Made it into the basketball club? I made it into the starting lineup without much effort. You went to Teiko, right? That's a powerhouse! Any difficulties?_

The petite female giggled, as she sat down on the wooden bench in front of the gym, her surroundings dark as her phone's screen illuminated due to it. She typed her response quickly.

 _From: Me_

 _To: Ogiwara Shigehiro_

 _Re:_

 _It was fine – just that I got into the lowest_ _ **s**_ _tring. As you know, my skills aren't the best. Teiko itself is really great though!_

Just before she could slip her flip phone back into her bag, another message arrived. Ogiwara was always fast with responses, unlike her.

 _From: Ogiwara Shigehiro_

 _To: Me_

 _Re:_

 _That's a little sad, but don't get discouraged! You'll make it soon enough!_

She smiled, as she nodded and vowed to herself to make it to first string – or else there was no point in why she joined the all-boys basketball club, after all. She then glanced at the convenience store that she was standing next to, and decided to grab something for her dinner – maybe some instant ramen.

"Welcome – wait, who…" The blonde squinted his eyes as he stared at the auto door that opened – in which where nobody seemed to be there. For a moment he thought it was a ghost and freaked out, until he saw the girl that was filing through the shelves of cup ramen. "Oh." His face fell in relief. Kuroko put the can of vanilla milkshake and the pork stew ramen in front of the cashier.

She then tilted her head to the side, staring at the worker who looked extremely familiar. "Um…" The blonde in front of her blinked, as he clicked on the different buttons, then ripping the receipt from the machine.

"Is something on my face?" he asked her, as Kuroko shook her head.

"No, you just look very…familiar." The man laughed lightly with good mannerisms.

"Oh, that's because I work as a model. Name is Kise Ryouta – Oh, and I think we go to the same school, too! Teiko Middle School, am I right? I work part-time here – it's nice to meet you. What's your name?" He questioned, handing her purchases that were packed in a plastic bag to her.

 _I wasn't specifically trying to get all that information out of him, but well._ "Kuroko Tetsuya. Nice to make of your acquaintance." She grabbed the plastic bag and thanked him, checking the receipt before throwing it away. Muttering her farewell, she stepped out of the store, with Kise waving at her through the glass walls. She waved back nervously, and then progressed to walk on to her apartment.

Meanwhile, back at school, the one and only head coach Shirogane was examining four different individuals, the captain of the whole team, Nijimura Shuzou, standing next to him silently. Pacing around the same length of five steps back and forth, the man finally came to a stop. "Well then," he cleared his throat. "Even though you guys did show some outstanding skills back there at the test, we cannot put that into full accountability and put you on the starting lineup – especially when there are second and third years that put their effort for all this time. You will be placed as bench players for the time being."

"Yes, sir." An instantaneous response was given, as the coach cleared his throat to dismiss them. Nijimura then tapped the coach's shoulder to inform him of something, as if just been reminded.

"Um, coach? There is something I want to discuss with you, about the tests just now." Coach Shirogane glanced at the four that stood in their places uncomfortably. As if enjoying this unlikely sight, the man let them remain.

"What is it?"

Nijimura scanned past the pages in front of him. "Well…it seems like a girl entered our basketball club, and she was placed in third string – came in last place for almost everything. Wouldn't it be better to send her off the girl's basketball club?"

Coach Shirogane seemed startled. "A girl?" He then came to a pause. "She must have a reason to insist and join the all-boys one. Let her stay. It's not like there is any rule that bans girls from the club itself, after all."

"Understood, Coach."

Coach Shirogane gave a dismissive nod at the four first years. "You guys may leave. Shuzou, follow me – I have something to talk about with you concerning the match with Kurokami next week."

The voice of the coach and captain faded as they briskly walked past the dark corridor. Four of them just stood there, until Midorima Shintaro – a green-haired boy with a phonebook in his hand picked up his bag and got ready to leave. The others followed his example, each of them stepping out of the classroom. No greetings or farewells were shared, as none of them were much of the type to speak up and socialize.

"Dai-chan, I was waiting!" Momoi Satsuki, the new manager of the club jogged towards the tanned male, breathless. "Geez, what was taking you so long? I was forced to wait outside for so long – oh, I got a Pokari for you." She handed the energy drink to Aomine, as the male opened the cap and gulped the whole bottle down.

"Coach Shirogane called us and talked about stuff. Nothing important." Grumbling his response, the two headed home. Akashi had a car waiting for him in front of the gates, while Midorima and Murasakibara headed the same way back on foot. Not being able to hold through the awkward air, Murasakibara visited the convenience store, as Midorima went ahead.

Murasakibara's phone rang when he was done buying his ice cream. He ripped open a soda-flavored popsicle, and stuck it in his mouth as he reached for his cellphone. "Hello?"

" _Atsushi, are you home yet?"_

"No."

" _Can you do the dishes today for me then?"_

"But it's your turn today."

" _Come on, just this time. You're not even that busy_ – _I have a meeting with my girlfriend tonight at her apartment."_

"I've been doing it for the past two weeks."

The line went dead, as Murasakibara glared at his phone. He muttered a few curses under his breath, as he bit off a large portion of his popsicle. "I can't believe him."

 _ **~TLTS~**_

After a few weeks, Kuroko Tetsuya found herself practicing in a rather friendly manner with all the other third string boys that had gotten used to her presence. They still couldn't spot her very well – but when they could locate her, they talked to her. She was treated like any other male on the team. Being one of the members with the lowest stamina and the least of skills, some still looked down on her; however, she could care less.

"Kuroko, can you pass the ball over there?" One of the players called her name, as she blinked at the basketball that came in contact with her foot. She quickly picked it up and threw it in their direction. "Thanks!" They ran off, as she was a second late to give them a nod. She dropped her head in slight disappointment, going to get another basketball from the racks.

"Wah –" She yelled aloud (though because her voice was still quiet, it didn't really make a difference) as she bumped into someone's broad chest. "I'm so sorry, I didn't watch where I was going. Are you –"

"Are you alright?" A low captivating voice spoke, rough bandaged hands on her shoulder as he pulled her back into place. Kuroko looked up and immediately recognized one of the rising stars in the first string – the three-pointer shooting guard, Midorima Shintaro. He grabbed a basketball from the tall racks, and handed one to her. "I guess you needed this."

"Oh, thank you." Kuroko smiled. "Midorima-kun," she added, supposing it would be of greater honor if she put his name at the very end. The male frowned, puzzled at the fact that she seemed to know about him.

"Did we meet somewhere?"

The girl laughed, almost close to exasperation rather than humor. "Everyone knows about you, Midorima-kun." She threw the basketball slightly in the air, ready to walk away to continue with her practice.

"It isn't really polite to leave you without knowing your name when you know mine. What's your name and zodiac?"

 _Why zodiac?_ "Kuroko Tetsuya…I'm an Aquarius."

"Oh." He paused, as he fixed the bandages on his hand. "Aquarius has the worst luck for the month. I don't have your lucky item with me since I am a Cancer, but…it will be good to be aware of Virgos approaching you nearby. Especially males, if I have to add."

Not very sure of where she was supposed to start, Kuroko just bit her bottom lip. "Um, thanks for the warning." Midorima gave her a nod and trudged away towards the opposite side of the court to talk to the head coach of the Third String.

 _Virgos?_ She thought for a while, but her parents weren't Virgos, or any of her classmates that she had befriended. _Oh well. How accurate can zodiacs be, anyway?_

Of course, then Kuroko didn't know how accurate Midorima's daily zodiac foretellings could possible be, which was why she had soon erased his warning from her mind, carelessly dropping leftover basketballs all over the court as she cleaned up after the other third string members. It was definitely frustrating work, as Kuroko somehow always ended up receiving the job. She had continuously vowed that she would reprimand her teammates for not completing their own tasks, but could never muster the courage to do so.

"Whew…" She exhaled a short breath of exhaustion, flapping her shirt back and forth as her hand hit her chest, trying to get pumps of air to hit her face. Then the last basketball that was remaining in the court grabbed her eye. Her primal instinct was to clean it up and throw it to the last section of the racks above her head – but then she decided otherwise. Living alone surely was an advantage at times – her parents couldn't keep her inside like before.

Dribbling the ball forward, she ran in zigzag formations, keeping her balance. Then, she got into an awkward shooting form, throwing the ball upwards; it helplessly hit the backboard and fell right in front of her foot. She was terrible at shooting. Of course, she was quite adequately as terrible at other moves like blocking and passing, but shooting was definitely the worst.

 _That's alright,_ she nodded, attempting to cheer herself up. _I'll just practice more from here on._

Oddly enough, as if to knock a message into Kuroko, the girl had experienced many small encounters with Virgos that brought her to minor accidents for the following weeks, until the very end of the month. Sometimes being male, sometimes being female – though mostly male. The thought had crept the teal-haired female out, but she convinced herself that it was just her being a conscious idiot.

Like she had done for quite a while, Kuroko remained after practice until dawn, when nobody had remained – not even anyone from the first string. Though she was slowly losing hope for first string, she had some certainty that if she worked on it, she could proceed onto second. Caressing her own hair, twirling the short strand in her hands, she leaned back on the gym wall and sighed heavily once again.

"Practice, practice…" Whispering to herself, she picked up the wall and threw it upward once again. Her aim might've gotten better, but still; she had only made six goals in throughout the whole month she had been working on. It was still an improvement, as she barely got one in before, but still quite a forlorn result, if she had to add.

 _Creak_ –

"Huh?" She dropped the basketball as she heard the door open behind her. Someone shrieked in a high-pitched voice; though it definitely wasn't female. Silently moving her footsteps towards the entrance, she approached the shivering shadow. "Uh, who –"

"OH MY GOD, I'M SO SORRY- THIS IS WHY PEOPLE SAY YOU NEED A RELIGION, HUH? OH JESUS CHRIST, IF YOU HAVE MERCY WILL YOU PLEASE –"

"Um, I'm no Jesus, but I can call the ambulance if you're having some problems…" Kuroko leaned in toward the male who had stopped shaking after exactly two seconds, as if translating a foreign language he understood into Japanese. Then as if he could comprehend what she had just told him, he slowly turned his head in her direction. Momentarily he didn't seem to even notice that she was there, until he yelped when he located her figure.

"Oh." Was the first thing he had decided to say. Kuroko came to a decision that that was a good place to begin for someone to start speaking. "Uh…" Even better. "Sorry, was our gym another realm to heaven or something?"

"… Pardon?"

The tanned male seemed as equally confuddled as she was. "Wait, so you're human, aren't you?"

"I'm often ignored by others, but the last time I checked, yes, I am most definitely human to flesh." Giving him a reassuring nod, Kuroko realized that she had recognized the male, now that he looked more composed than before, and not screaming his head off about Jesus. "And I believe you are Aomine-kun?"

The latter blinked once, then twice. "Wow, Sherlock Holmes?"

Kuroko herself enjoyed that series. Chuckling in delight, Kuroko shook her head in fake denial. "I truly wished I was, Aomine-kun. But no, I'm just an average student enrolling here in Teiko, just like you. You don't know me because I'm in third string, but I tried out at the same time as you, so I'm bound to recognize you."

Fazed, Aomine scanned her from head to toe. Then, grinning, he reached out his hand. "Well, proper introductions might be necessary right now. You know me already – what's your name?"

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Tetsuya? Isn't that a boy's name – oh, so _you're_ the one that joined as a female in the all-boy's basketball club!"

"My parents wanted me to accomplish tasks that males could do, just as well being a female." She explained, which was the true reason why her parents decided to present her with such a masculine name.

Aomine then finally glanced at the basketball that was in her hand. "Wow, you're practicing until this late? None of even the first string members do that – you must be pretty amazing." He clucked his tongue, impressed. Kuroko forced a strained smile onto her lips, trying to hide her disappointment; Aomine's skills were so far greater than hers, after all. They were just incomparable.

"Well, you see…" She bit her bottom lip. "I am practicing, but I'm really not getting any better. I finished last place during the tryouts, and I think that I must be really bad at this nowadays." Fiddling with the fresh blisters on her fingers, she dribbled the basketball on the rubbery court. The tanned male laughed aloud, as he stole the ball from her. "Wait, what are you –"

"No one is really that good at first." He threw the basketball towards the net, which then missed. "See? I'm not that great either. I didn't practice for a long time, you know…because of personal reasons. You can make it too." _Of course, I'm not telling her that I missed that shot on purpose…_ Aomine thought inwardly, but felt proud as he saw Kuroko smile happily.

That was their first encounter – the original Shadow and Light.

But there was something that nobody knew, except for the Aomine in the future, and, eventually, four other males – that Kuroko Tetsuya was and always will be the Light, and they were her Shadow.

She was _their_ Light.

 **End of Chapter.**

 **A/N: I always wanted to try out a story like this. So here it is. This story is divided into two compartments, which would be two separate stories – one being the story of them in middle school, and one being when they enter their freshmen year of high school, where the anime progresses. I am going to follow in chronological order for this to make more sense to all of you.**

 **The final pairing of this story is still undecided, as I only finished planning the end of the first book, which is this one. Of course, the final result wouldn't be revealed, so you'll have to keep reading!**

 **If you have any questions then please leave it in the reviews. Criticism is welcomed, and maybe some helpful comments to follow it!**

 **Also, thanks to my beta-reader, Melodie Kane for editing this story – she might leave weird messages time to time.**

 **Until my next update,**

 **Meiko**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews – and all the people that added this story in their alert/favorite list! I was very surprised at the number of followers I had gotten from a single chapter.**

 **And for my other story** _ **Color,**_ **that a few of you seem to be talking about, I am still waiting for my beta-reader to recover. The storyline for it is complete, though.**

 **IMPORTANT NOTE: Each beginning of a chapter is told in a different character's perspective, and then returns to Kuroko's after a while. Just not to confuse any of you.**

 **Chapter 2**

" _Today all Aquarius people might want to look out for Scorpios. Remember, Aquarius and Scorpio have the worst compatibility among the 12 zodiacs!"_

Murasakibara Atsushi's mornings always started with something crashing on the floor. Whether it was a person, a vase of flowers, his box of snacks, or someone's scrambled eggs and ham – _something_ was bound to fall and wake him up. At first, it was almost displeasing and infuriating, as this occurred during the weekends as well, in a consecutive manner.

That first experience was already eight years ago. He barely remembered anything about his life then.

"Where is Toshi-aniki?" The second oldest, Murasakibara Soji, now in his second year of college, spoke up. He was always home, except when he had classes.

"With his girlfriend. He didn't come back yesterday." Murasakibara Miyuki, the fourth oldest and also being the only female grunted as she cleaned up the sticky mess on the floor – it seemed like a batter of eggs and flour had spilled all over the carpet. She was now in her freshmen year in high school, and also had a boyfriend she had been dating for three months. When she spotted Murasakibara, she glared at him viciously. "Atsushi, clean this up. I need to make the batter again."

"But –" Murasakibara tried to protest, but knew better and grabbed a towel from the bathroom.

"Atsushi, can you bring my bento after school today? I'm staying with my friends for dinner. You know where it is, right?" Murasakibara Shibuki, the third oldest that was in his senior year of high school waved, as he slammed the front door close behind him, running late to school. Murasakibara threw the towel into the laundry, turning on the washing machine. He himself had to get prepared to go to school, but he had a load of housework to complete in the morning. Which, always seemed to make him tardy for every first period class.

 _No, I indeed do not know where it is._ Murasakibara thought to himself to answer his brother's "question". It was really better not asked if he wasn't expecting a response. Miyuki was shouting something from the kitchen, but Murasakibara couldn't hear her. Soji was typing something up on his laptop with the TV on. How _nice_ it would be if any of them bothered to care that he had school to attend; not to mention that first string had morning practice sessions. Thanks to other errands that contained him as soon as the sun was up, he never attended any of Teiko's morning activities. He could only be relieved that the school didn't take any points off for being late.

The veranda door was knocked to the side, as Miyuki screamed his name. "How many times do I need to tell you to get your _freaking_ tall ass to the kitchen?!" exclaiming in anger, the female pulled on Murasakibara's collar, as the said male threw a wet washcloth to the side of the hangers. "Which one's better – strawberry icing or chocolate?" She shoved a bowl of pink icing and brown icing in front of his nose.

"Chocolate." Assuming it was for her boyfriend, Murasakibara mumbled his reply and walked back to the washing machine. School began in twenty minutes, and he couldn't even savor the sweet moment of brushing his teeth, much less taking a shower. Worse – his house was fifteen minutes away from Teiko, just by taking the bus.

Life sucked to its best, sometimes.

When he finished the laundry, he proceeded to wash the newly stacked dishes in the sink, while cleaning up his sister's mess (she had already left, claiming she was late to school; as if she knew.) at the same time. School had already begun, and Murasakibara was almost certain that at this rate, he wouldn't even be able to get to his second period class for the day.

If Cinderella from the fairytales was a male, the cast definitely had been inspired by him.

He walked briskly up to the bathroom that seven members of the family shared, grabbing his purple toothbrush. He then swung the wardrobe door to his right and threw his school uniform onto his bed. Rubbing his face and hair with water, not really caring whether the soap was properly cleansed or not, he grabbed a towel and put it over his head, as he buttoned his uniform shirt on. Teiko had an inconvenient uniform, considering that they had jackets and neckties and all.

Glancing at the clock with no rush (okay, maybe _some_ ) he took out a piece of bread from the toaster and headed out with his bag slung over his shoulders. The next bus didn't come in at least six minutes, and first period was almost over. Break lasted for ten minutes – if he was lucky, maybe he would be able to get ready for second period and make it in time.

As he got on the bus that was filling with people of varieties of jobs, attention focused on him. It was probably because of his height – all the members of his household were well known for being very tall.

"Murasakibara, you're late." Akashi had said menacingly when he spotted Murasakibara near the lockers on the second floor during break, while all the other students were enjoying their break. "Again." The redhead added in a painful manner.

"'M sorry." Murasakibara couldn't promise that it wouldn't happen again, because it probably _would_. Knowing this himself, Akashi heaved a sigh, shaking his head. "I don't know what's going on, but Nijimura-san had told me pass on another warning. Of course, you wouldn't be kicked off the team, but you might need to do the cleaning duties with third string members."

More cleaning. Great.

"Oh." As he closed his locker, Murasakibara thought through his schedule today. He wasn't sure if Shibuki would be happy if he were to be late for the bento.

"I don't know what's going on, but there must be a reasonable cause for your tardiness. What time do you wake up? I think you are fully aware of the fact that morning practice starts at seven."

"I wake up at 6."

"No reason to be late then. What's the matter?" Akashi tilted his head to the side in bewilderment. Noticing the change in Murasakibara's aura to what was close to somewhat being uncomfortable about the interrogation, the said male just stepped back. "I won't question you further if you feel bothered. But I cannot promise you that there wouldn't be consequences that will follow after this."

Passing on a reluctant nod, Murasakibara headed forth to his next class as the bell rang.

 _ **~TLTS~**_

"Kuroko." Midorima Shintaro, Kuroko Tetsuya's lab partner spoke up after exactly seven minutes of silence while they were writing up their draft. He fumbled through his things and took out a box of karaage (fried chicken). Kuroko glanced at the moist plastic box that was already fogged up in the inside. "It's your lucky item."

"Oh." _Of course._ She rolled her eyes mentally; reprimanding herself for thinking that Midorima was giving her something for lunch. Midorima was in her homeroom so they had several chances to chat time to time, and occasionally Midorima would pass on her lucky item for the day, as well as a warning to be followed.

As he glanced at the tube of translucent liquid in front of him, he jotted something down on his pad of paper. Then fixing his glasses, he looked at her straight in the eye and started to talk. "The luck for Aquarius isn't terrible today, but it would be good to look out for Scorpios. Don't get acquainted with them at all if possible. Scorpios and Aquarius people have the worst compatibility among the zodiacs, after all."

"I see." Her parents were both Scorpios. No wonder. "Thank you. Can I eat this if I never get to use it?" Midorima shrugged, as if he could care less – in which he probably could to the fullest. She carefully placed the box in the corner of her bag, and stood up from her desk as she heard the bell signaling for the end of school ring. Well, more like the bell that signaled for the start of practice.

"Okay, where the f –" Kuroko jumped, startled, as she heard Nijimura looking to be at the verge of exploding, his face red with anger. He took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of sweat and rubber, and then exhaled all his emotions back. " _Where_ ," He started again, this time at a much more calming rate. "Is Murasakibara?" Murasakibara, as almost every member of the basketball club of Teiko was aware of, was one of the troublesome members their captain was forced to deal with because of their lack of attendance.

 _The other one was…Hai…something…_ Coming to a final decision that it wasn't any of her business, Kuroko turned on her heels, as Aomine shouted something from across the court, which instantly made the female stop dribbling her ball. "Captain, it seems like Murasakibara is gonna come back around the next twenty minutes or so. He says he has something to deliver." Their eyes met coincidentally, and Aomine flashed her a smile. Kuroko gave one back.

"Deliver my _ass_." Nijimura looked ready to rip someone's head off.

"That sounds a bit _hard_ , Shu." The vice captain snickered as he proceeded to make a dirty pun, earning a punch to the face.

Then suddenly the gym door creaked open, revealing a gray-haired male who was reading a gravure magazine, as he entered the court without looking where he was going, seeming absorbed into the image of a naked woman. Nijimura quietly approached him like a predator sneaking up to its delicious prey. Then he snatched the magazine away from the boy's hands, as the male glared up at him and got ready to shout an insult at the captain. However, Nijimura simply kicked him in the stomach, sending him off to the ground. "Someone get that idiot and carry him to the locker rooms and make him change. I don't have time for him."

A few second string members dragged the male by the arms, as Kuroko finally remembered the name of the gangster-like troublemaker of the club. "Haizaki Shogo." A certain voice claimed in sync with her thoughts, a large hand rubbing the top of her head. "He's an annoying one." Aomine answered, and then added on. "It's good not to talk to him, for your benefits. He's moving on to first string today, but honestly, I don't like him."

"Oh." Slowly removing his hand from her head, Kuroko bounced the basketball up and down.

Spinning his own on his index finger, Aomine smirked. "You staying today, too?" Kuroko nodded vigorously, as the tanned basketball player laughed. "Okay, I'll practice with you. Ah…wait, Satsuki needs help with something." Clucking his tongue, Aomine slapped his forehead. "Maybe tomorrow, then?" He suggested, as the latter just gave him a nod of agreement. "Great. I'll be here tomorrow with you then."

Running toward the first string members, Aomine disappeared into the crowd. Kuroko continued to practice her shoots, passes, and dribbling skills with her teammates – though in her opinion, she wasn't improving in the slightest, and could only be depressed. Kneeling down a bit as she felt a little breathless, droplets of her sweat fell to the wooden floor of the court. Her fingers were bandaged because blisters were appearing from her daily increased practice, and her feet hurt from hours of training. And yet, she didn't seem get any better.

"Practice is over!" Coach Sanada announced after forty minutes of the repetition of the same menu. Kuroko stayed over cleaning up the court. Someone else joined her though – a tall, purple-haired male who had the same length of hair as she did. It was Murasakibara Atsushi – the Tardy Member. He looked quite resentful as he picked up five basketballs at the same time, kicking one along to the racks.

"Um, hello." She greeted after the male was done putting the balls into the racks with her. "Thanks for helping." He eyed her for a while, and then simply shrugged as he clicked the rack shut.

"It's not like I intended to. Captain told me it was the punishment for being late everyday." He picked up his bag, and he didn't bother to change back to his school uniform, stepping out in his gym clothes. Kuroko already knew who the male was, of course, so she just nodded and sent him off. Murasakibara remembered the fact that he had forgotten to ask her who she was, just after he was out of the school gates.

She kicked the basketball that was leftover in the corner saved for her, and moved along the white baseline, trying not to look at the ball as she dribbled it. She failed to make her shoot in, but she was becoming successful with her dribbles.

"Who is the annoying bitch that's practicing _now_?" A lewd voice echoed throughout the court, sending a chill up Kuroko's spine. She dropped the basketball in her hands as it rolled off to the side of the second court, far way from her vision, as she unconsciously clutched the hem of her shorts. From the shadows appeared Haizaki Shogo now changed back into his uniform, his tie loose and a few buttons of his shirt undone. "What, a girl?" Frowning in confusion, Haizaki walked towards Kuroko.

"Um." The female gulped, as Haizaki examined her, grasping her shoulder and not letting her go. "What are you doing?"

"Wondering what the fuck are you doing here, obviously." Irritated with his harsh usage of words, Kuroko gripped Haizaki's wrist and pushed it off her shoulder. He raised his left brow. "I don't dislike rebellious women." Certain that she had to stay away from this man, just like Aomine had told her, Kuroko let out a frustrated sigh and went to retrieve her bag from the corner of the court, picking up the basketball and throwing it back up to the metal racks.

"Hey, that's cold. I don't think we even know each other." Haizaki stopped her, blocking her path. She proceeded to ignoring him for her own good (just like Aomine had informed her), as she opened her bag – and then spotted her plastic box of karaage. She took it out and stared, betting on the fact that it must be cold – but surprisingly, the bottom of the box was still lukewarm.

Just before she could open the lid, a giant hand snatched it away from her own. Haizaki opened the lid and threw one into his mouth. "Not smoking hot, but this works." He chewed on the meat, as Kuroko decided that that was why the food was her lucky item for the day. Wishing on her so-called luck, Kuroko tip-toed out and headed towards the locker rooms. When she seemed quite close enough, Haizaki slammed her body toward the wall nearby, as she grimaced in pain.

"You know," He began, "A lot of things can happen here, especially when one boy and one girl is in the same area." The male licked his lips, as Kuroko gave him a disgusted scowl.

"Thank you for being the perfect example." She shot back meaningfully, as Haizaki laughed, releasing the grip on her wrist. He threw the plastic box into the recycle bin, and wiped the oil off on his pants, as if he could care less about the grease.

"You're a funny one. Your name?"

Kuroko didn't feel the slightest bit comfortable notifying this stranger with her name, but told him anyway – not wanting to converse further with the male. "Kuroko. Kuroko Tetsuya." Haizaki seemed to care less about her boyish first name, as he walked off.

"Then, Tetsuya," He turned to glance at her, though not stopping. "I'm Haizaki Shogo. Thanks for the chicken. Oh, and remember my warning." Kuroko's shoulder ached, where Haizaki slammed her into the wall – as if to remind her of what he tried to do. She narrowed her eyes at the vanishing back of the male, and then went to change.

 _ **~TLTS~**_

"That must've been annoying."

 _Beep-_

"Well… he was rude. But that's about it."

 _Beep-_

"What's his name again? And here's your ramen and milkshake, as usual. You eating here again?" Kise asked, handing her receipt, getting ready to hand her the boiled water if she were to eat at the store.

"Haizaki Shogo. And yes, I'll eat here today." Kuroko smiled kindly at her friend. Kise excitedly pulled another chair to the counter, placing it next to him as he picked up Kuroko's bag and put it next to him. Kise and Kuroko had become great friends, and sometimes even talked at school, though being in different classes. Pouring steaming hot water into the bowl of instant ramen, Kise closed the lid again and placed wooden chopsticks on top.

"I like it when Kurokocchi decides to stay. Keeps me company." Kise said, as he waited with her for the noodles to be cooked. The male didn't really have many friends, as he worked as a model part-time and missed out on regular school days a lot, and then came to the convenience store afterward during the late evening.

Kuroko also found the male reassuring, after the intense practice menus and her personal training session after school. She liked to spend her time at the convenience store as she talked about her day with Kise, who never got to experience average school life of middle schoolers. Kuroko was the one who fulfilled the small amount of happiness in him. They were almost like friends with benefits. _Almost_.

Lifting the plastic lid of the ramen, Kuroko broke the wooden chopsticks in half and started to eat. "So, Kurokocchi," Kise had the tendency to add the suffix of '-cchi' at the end of people's names of whom he respected. "Anything else that made your day interesting?"

Slipping the pieces of curly noodles into her mouth, Kuroko fell in deep thought. "Well…" She started after she finished chewing. Then she remembered her encounter with Murasakibara. "Kise-kun, do you know someone called Murasakibara Atsushi in our grade?"

"Murasakibara Atsushi? Yeah, he's in my homeroom. Always late to first period or doesn't come to it all, that guy. I feel sorry for him – the other day he was forced to stay in class and write essays from prompts and everything. Why?"

"Oh." Kuroko finally understood why the male never showed up to morning practice. If he didn't come to first period at all, there was no way that he could make it to school by seven. "Nothing, I just met him today. He's a member of the club too." She took another bite of the noodles, careful not to spill the soup all over her uniform.

Kise took out an ice cream from the freezer and opened the wrap. Apparently the owner was kind enough to allow the male to eat whatever he wanted, as long as it didn't cross the line. He licked on the edge, as Kuroko threw the bowl in the bin and stood up. "Leaving already?" He asked, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Sorry, I have a lot of homework today." Kuroko said in an apologetic manner, as Kise nodded understandingly. They muttered their good byes, as the teal-haired girl walked back home. The blonde's hand slowly descended, and then soon dropped near his waist. He scratched the back of his head, and simply sat back down on the stool. A message arrived from his sister.

 _From: Kise Tomoyo_

 _To: Me_

 _Ryouta, I'll put your dinner in the fridge. Dad isn't coming back until next week, so I think we'll have to skip some meals, to pay for this month's rent, if that's okay with you. I love you, Ryouta! :D_

Kise turned off his phone as he ran his fingers through his hair, gritting his teeth a little. It came back. The usual expression he made when nobody was around, and he could finally be himself. Slumping down backward on the door of the storage room, the blonde waited for Yuuya, the next person in line to switch with him.

As if on cue with his thoughts, a black-haired male entered the store, panting – obviously, he had been running all the way. Kise quickly stood back up and plastered his bright smile on his face again. "Yuuya-san!" He took off his apron and greeted the older man.

"Hey, Kise. Sorry I'm late – I had a report to hand in to my professor. Anything I need to do?"

"No – oh, maybe take out the bento boxes that are out of date?"

"Gotcha."

With that, Kise stepped away, picking his bag up from the stool and exiting the store. When he was halfway there to the bus station, he stopped abruptly in his steps, struck with realization. "Damn it…" He cursed himself under his breath. "I forgot my notebook… I wonder if there's someone left right now?" His watch pointed 8:30 P.M, as the blonde rushed back to Teiko. School gates didn't close until 9.

"Where did I leave it? I took it out of my locker, and then I rested on the benches near the gym to – oh." He ran towards the gym, glad that the security guard hadn't locked any of the gates to anywhere. His notebook was on the wooden bench right in front of the basketball court, perfectly fine where it was. "Great. Just great." Speaking with half-sarcasm, Kise laughed emptily. He dusted off the cover, and put it back into his bag.

And that was when he heard a few murmurs coming from the gym, approaching him as time passed.

"Like I said, wouldn't it be more beneficial if we changed the curriculum into schedule A, like we talked about previously during the meeting, Coach?"

"No, then that'll take out more that a third of what is supposed to be included in the menu. We can't have that happening."

"But time-wise, that'll be a more intelligent decision for the members of the club and for the staff."

One seemed to be a middle-aged man, while the other sounded like a high schooler, with the deep voice and all. Kise just stood there for a while in amusement as he saw the lights turn off. The said coach then caught an eye of him – it was Mr. Shirogane, the homeroom teacher for the third years. Kise of course never knew that he worked as a Coach in school, too. "Well, that's rare." He came closer toward Kise. "I don't see a lot of students loitering around the school at this time."

"I-I wasn't exactly loitering, I just came to find my notebook. I forgot it on the bench." Kise stuttered nervously, as he glanced at the other middle schooler – he recognized him, but wasn't certain of his name. Coach Shirogane scanned him head to toe, and then grinned, putting his hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"You have the eyes of a good basketball player." Puzzled by the Coach's words, Kise forced a small chuckle.

"I am thankful for your compliment, sir, but I'm not exactly _that_ interested in any particular sport…and besides," The Coach lowered his hand and scowled. "…I have part-time jobs that I do after school until eight. I can't join a club." The older man seemed mystified, as Kise technically was still only around thirteen – how busy could a middle schooler that age be? But coming to a conclusion that it must be something personal, the senior did not question further.

"Very well." He grinned. "But you can always try out next year, or the next season." Nijimura and the coach walked away with that, as Kise just stood there, staring at the two and their backs in disappointment. He wanted to join a club too – whether he was interested in the whole matter itself or not. He needed something else to occupy himself with other than part-time jobs.

But of course, Kise knew better than anyone – that that was impossible. He didn't have time for clubs.

"I guess I should go home now."

 _ **~TLTS~**_

Seasons were changing, from spring to early summer – as the second and third years went to their training camps with the coaches, first years were given their freedom to train as freely as they wanted, under the provision of their advisor. Only during this period of time, first to third string members all shared a single court to practice, as in the end, there were only first years present.

Kuroko found herself fascinated at how the first string members made their shoots go in perfectly, some even doing dunks and alley-oops. She could hardly believe that they were the same age as her. The negative thing about fusing all the first to third string members in one court was that there weren't enough hoops to practice – and the flow naturally let the first string members get advantage of most of the facilities, while second and third string practiced without them.

"I hate those first years." She could hear third year members of the second string who stayed behind mumble, as they glared threateningly at Midorima and the others that were using five hoops all to themselves. A few murmurs came in response instantaneously, as if they were prepared for the gossip to happen. Kuroko just stepped aside as she practiced her passing techniques, bouncing the ball back and forth at the wall as she ran.

Meanwhile with the first string, the four first years were together, taking a quick five-minute break – which gave third string members a chance to practice their shots. Murasakibara spoke up, as he caught sight of Akashi staring intently at something. "Aka-chin, who are you looking at?" The other three focused their attention on the redhead, as it was quite rare to catch Akashi being captivated by someone.

"No," Akashi paused, closing his bottle of water, "Is that the girl Nijimura-san was talking about with the coach?" He pointed at Kuroko, who was practicing in the far-off corner, barely spotted by anyone. It was already challenging to find her with the bare human eye – it was even trickier to do so when she was so silent most of the time, without much illuminating presence.

"Oh, yes." Midorima responded with a vigorous nod. "She's in my homeroom. Pretty pleasant, though not as energetic." Aomine wanted to boast his acquaintanceship with the female, but kept his arising urge down; since, he wanted to keep it private as well. Akashi on the other hand, seemed fascinated with Kuroko. "According to what the rumors seem to say however, her skills aren't very exceptional."

Furrowing his eyebrows, the point guard simply yanked the wet towel around his neck off as he progressed forward towards the court to resume to his practice. Then after a while, he continued. "If those are what the rumors say," Managing to dunk into the high hoop, Akashi landed on the ground. "I'll choose to believe otherwise."

"Why, you sense potential in her?"

A new voice entered the stage, which turned out to be Haizaki Shogo that had simply arrived near the bench to grab a drink. Wiping cold sweat off his forehead, the male's gray hair swayed with much confidence. "I honestly think she'd be better off being my girlfriend." Aomine rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"She deserves someone much better than you." Haizaki sent the tanned male a venomous expression, as he grunted and tossed the plastic bottle carelessly toward the wooden wall of the gym. Akashi gave him a threatening scowl, then glanced at where Kuroko had been previously practicing – only to see she had disappeared.

"Hn." He turned and closed his eyes, recalling her teal hair and strikingly pale skin, as well as her thin body. She was difficult to notice, but had imprinted a firm image once spotted.

A hand came in contact with his shoulder. "Aka-chin, you're acting a little weird." The indigo-haired male said in his usual deep voice. "Are you in love with Kuroko or something?" He said teasingly. "Love at first sight, too."

"No," Akashi retorted immediately, slightly disappointing the latter as he hit his hand off. He finally saw her again near the racks, talking to the taller third string members excitedly, in a surprisingly enterprising manner.

 _Kuroko, huh._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: All the quotes in the beginning have a relationship with the chapter. The quote below describes the love of three characters toward Kuroko. Guess who?**

 **Also, the final pairing for Kuroko is almost decided. It might be unexpected (or vice versa), but please stay tuned.**

 **Chapter 3**

" _Love is complicated. It can transform into something more friendly, something more serious, or something more violent. Depends on the person, really."_

"Shizuka, are you listening to me?"

" _Yes, yes, I am. What's my lucky item again?"_

"An idol fan, remember –"

" _That I should be aware of new people to approach, yes, I got it."_

"… Okay. Bye."

The line went dead, as Midorima continued to watch the zodiac forecast. The turns for Aries, his sister, and Cancer, for himself was already over, but as Midorima still had some time until he needed to head outside – he decided that it couldn't hurt to keep on watching.

"… _And, for our second to last turn, Aquarius! Don't be discouraged by your smallest defeats – though they might seem major for the time being, they'll eventually prove themselves that they are nothing but minor issues for you to deal with. It's good to acquaint yourself with a Sagitt –"_

The green head held up the remote and turned the TV off. "Why am I even…" _Was I waiting for Aquarius to appear? No, that can't be it._ Shaking his head in vexation, Midorima slung his bag over his shoulder and headed outside, closing the door with a click.

Soft footsteps were heard from behind the boy. "Shintaro, are you leaving?" He didn't turn back to see the old man in his white gown, his hair messy and tangled from a night of work. Midorima just pursed his lips and left the house, not daring to utter a word back. He could feel the empty gaze of his father fixated on the door, as if he could see right through it and look at Midorima. He ignored it, and went ahead to grab a taxi.

"To Teiko Middle School, please." The driver nodded compliantly as he stepped on the accelerator. The shooting guard turned on his phone and checked the time – he had thirty minutes left. He then proceeded to _Oha-Asa's_ official homepage, and then scrolled down to Aquarius again, reading the rest of the forecast that he had consciously refused to watch.

' _It's good to acquaint yourself with a Sagittarius for advice – but not right away. New meetings might cause negative impressions. Your lucky item for the day is a basketball. Have great day with Oha-Asa!'_

Soon falling in deep thought, Midorima tried recalling all the signs of Sagittarius people he knew in Teiko. _Akashi._ The redhead's name popped up out of nowhere, as the spectacled male groaned in frustration. The taxi came to a stop, as Midorima woke himself from his trance and paid the driver, stepping out of the car afterwards. The school was always quiet in the morning, and that was almost the moment when Midorima was the most satisfied throughout the whole day – when he finally felt like he had arrived in his new haven.

Changing into his gym clothes in the locker room, the green-haired male stretched his arms and re-bandaged his fingers with much concentration and care. When he went to the court for the first string members, Nijimura was there, practice his new drives. The second and third years had just returned from their training the other day, and it was quite evident that their skills had been improved throughout the week.

"Hey, Midorima." The captain tossed the male a basketball.

' _The lucky item for Aquarius is…'_

"Good morning." Catching the ball, Midorima immediately got into his shooting form and shot a three-pointer, with Nijimura giving an impressed whistle.

As he did so, the door creaked open, morning sunlight shining into the gymnasium. Akashi, Aomine, and Momoi had arrived – or, rather, Momoi was pulling on Aomine's ear and dragging him inside, more like. More first string members followed behind them, and the gym soon got as noisy and rowdy as usual – it was the cue for Midorima's quiet morning to go offstage.

During the last five minutes of practice, Murasakibara entered, startling both the coach and Nijimura and everyone else in first string.

"Sorry I'm late." The habitual words spilled out of the giant. Nijimura ran to him up to him; in a quite delightful manner, if anyone had to add.

"You _actually_ made it while practice was still in session." Patting his arm, the black-haired captain looked up. "What's gotten into you? An early bird?"

"Just," Murasakibara mumbled as he put his bag down, "family stuff. Will probably be late again tomorrow." Nijimura didn't look very enthusiastic about that, but let the latter go. Midorima shot a glance at the giant who simply grabbed a ball and started to dribble, a bored expression plastered on his face.

Aomine was the first one to talk among them, as training ended and the bell for the morning assembly rang. "I don't think I've ever seen you in the morning, Murasakibara. Midorima and Akashi are always early so I see them more than necessary, but you –"

"You're taken care of by Momoi more than necessary as well." The greenhead corrected the position of his glasses as they walked back to the school building. Aomine was about make a comeback, when Midorima stopped in his footsteps as he saw teal hair, swaying back and forth in the dusty morning air, and Kuroko's thin, petite figure in the midst of the crowd of males that were briskly walking back. Then suddenly, a blonde-haired boy skipped toward her and jumped on her shoulders, clearly startling the latter. The two then busily chattered off about something, though it seemed to be the male who did most of the talking.

"Isn't that Kise Ryouta?" Momoi questioned in curiosity, "I never saw him interested in any girl before."

"None of our business, Satsuki. Geez, are you jealous or something?"

"Dai-chan!"

The five of them parted ways as they all headed to their first period classes – Kise and Murasakibara kept their distance from one another, although they were going the same way, as if not used to each other's presence. Midorima casually joined Kuroko, who greeted him first as usual. The said male grunted his response back, and then opened his mouth to tell her the daily forecast for Aquarius.

"Kuroko –" Abruptly, he stopped himself. _Why do I feel obliged to telling her this, anyway?_ The words died in his throat, sinking deep inside him.

"Yes?" The girl turned back to look at him in the eye. Her light blue eyes seemed to pierce right through him, which intimidated the latter. He pulled up new words, keeping in the previous ones.

"No, nothing." Kuroko sent him a suspicious expression, but just gave him a dubious nod as she resumed to taking the notes on the whiteboard. _I need to focus,_ Midorima said to himself in reprimanding mannerisms. _I'm in class, and I cannot let this time go to waste._

Second, third, fourth, and fifth period went past with the Aquarius forecast replaying repeatedly inside his head, as if to say that he should be guilty for not informing the girl. It wasn't a particularly unlucky day for Aquarians; nothing could hurt for not telling her. However, something poked his mental thoughts: _"Tell her."_

Midorima came to a conclusion that he should probably ignore it.

 _ **~TLTS~**_

"Kuroko, the advisor was looking for you." One of the third string boys shouted at her, as the female raised her head and blinked, her expression clearly saying _'Me?'_ The informant rolled his eyes and threw his hand into the air. "Yes, you. He wants to meet you right away, so get moving."

Reluctant to follow the orders of a senior, Kuroko let her basketball drop to the floor. Then she glanced back at the rubbery material, feeling her luck drain from her body. She had a bad feeling about this meeting the advisor was calling for. Only the problematic club members were to have private meetings with advisor, anyways.

Her legs heavy with worry, Kuroko allowed herself to pass through the first string members that were practicing at the courts, holding practice games as they divided into teams. Aomine was benched at that time being, and spotted the female just in time she was halfway through the court. "Hey, Tetsu!" Deciding to transform her already masculine name into something even more boyish, the tanned male slapped her on the shoulder. "Why are you here? Thought you were in third string."

"I came to meet the advisor." Her voice was tight, and Aomine felt a pang of guilt as he caught sight of the female's anxious expression. Not knowing what to say or do, the tanned male just stuttered a little, and then stopped himself from talking as she silently excused herself and went ahead. His gaze fixed on her back, Aomine just stood there, until Akashi called him over back to the court to play the game, switching players.

Kuroko remained motionless at the doorstep to the basketball department's office. She glanced at her pale reflection on the silver doorknob and inhaled the moist air. It was oddly humid in the gym that day, and she had no idea why. Twisting open the knob, she mumbled a small greeting before she clicked the door close behind her. The advisor was there, sitting on his cushioned chair with files stacked on his desk, as well as disks.

"Ah, Kuroko-kun." He acknowledged her presence after a few seconds of empty staring. "Please sit down." Pulling out a wooden stool from underneath his desk, the advisor quickly typed something before facing her again. "So," The man started, his slightly paunchy figure more visible than before. "I wanted to talk to you about… uh… some _suggestions_ I might be able to make for you." He seemed to be picking his words out very carefully.

He exhaled a large breath that scented of cigar. "I am aware of the fact that your passion for basketball or something rather personal might've drawn you to joining the basketball club for boys. I am not against that of course, if that's your decision. However, in Teiko as you know, the members are divided into strings; and, if you aren't in any higher ones, or at least hold a top ten place in your string, it is rather challenging for you to make any results."

Expecting this conversation would occur any day or the other, Kuroko braced herself for the upcoming comments.

The advisor continued. "In your case right now, at this rate it would be difficult for you to even participate in any games at all, much less be chosen for second string. As you might know, if you want to have any information to write in your college applications at all, it would be beneficial if you have records from middle school and high school. I just wanted to advise you to move to the girl's basketball club, rather than staying here. The decision is completely up to you, of course; but, I wanted to help you."

The female knew she couldn't do that. There was no point in her making a promise with Ogiwara at all if she did so. "I'll stay." She muttered under her breath, as the advisor put on a troubled look.

"…well, if that's what you want. You may go now." He seemed to be inwardly shaking his head in disappointment as Kuroko departed from the room. The girl sighed as she closed the door and looked at the slightly dark hallway that was painted orange, with the view outside.

"Hey, Tetsuya." Kuroko crinkled her nose at the recognizable voice. "How are you doing?" Haizaki leaned down to look at her disgusted face. "Come on, do you still have a grudge against me for 'attacking' you last time?"

The girl simply passed on a look of suspicion, until she finally felt like she had to say something after a few seconds. "No, but I've received several warnings that I have to avoid you as much as possible." Haizaki pretended to be hurt, as he patted her shoulder and shoved past, making way for himself. Kuroko just stood there for a while, as if trying process what happened back in the office.

 _He was advising me to quit the club._ She moved a strand of her hair from the front of her eyes. _Am I really that hopeless at this sport?_ Her inner self seemed to be talking right back at the thoughtless question asked, answering: "Yes, you are pretty much hopeless at it."

"… Kuroko-san…was it?"

A rather high-pitched, light yet masculine voice spoke to her. Kuroko looked up and the first thing that she noticed was the dark shade of red; or, more like magenta. Her vision seemed blurry for a second, and then cleared to present an unknown male that was clearly examining her head to toe. When she had forgotten to answer, he started off with something else. "Sorry, did I say your name wrong? I wasn't quite listening to what Aomine had been saying to me during practice."

Finally being able to process the situation, Kuroko stumbled over her words. "N-no, it is Kuroko. I was daydreaming for a while; I apologize. It's just…" She tried to find the correct words, navigating through her jumble of vocabulary, "..unusual that anyone notices me."

"Well, yes – your presence is very low in comparison to others. You aren't at fault for that, and I don't think it's actually a bad thing." Reaching his hand out to her for a handshake, he introduced himself smoothly. "My name is Akashi Seijuro. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kuroko…"

"It's Tetsuya. Kuroko Tetsuya." She grasped his hand and sent him an awkward smile. It was quite weird that any middle schooler – a male, too – would be prone to such formalities. Nobody shook hands nowadays. Akashi didn't question her name that was accustomed for boys, just like Haizaki didn't interrogate her further about anything on their first encounter.

Silence engulfed the hallway, as Akashi cleared his throat. As if finally recognizing where she had just stepped out of, he pretended to be surprised. "And I am wondering why you are coming from the advisor's office? You don't seem like the troublemaker type, as far as my data on you spreads, unlike Haizaki."

"Um," Several sentences all came up for an explanation at once, that they all got caught up in her throat. "Just things about joining the female's basketball club instead of staying here." She didn't want to go into the details of it – as a matter of fact, she felt quite uncomfortable sharing anything with Akashi at all. He had an unapproachable aura behind his chivalrous behavior.

"I see." The redhead glanced at the female again, this time trying to predict what had actually occurred. Matching the puzzle pieces wasn't very challenging, as Akashi could kind of read the situation. He didn't inquire about the matter further, though. "Well, I have something to discuss about with the head coach. It'd be great if we can meet again sometime. First string and third string don't meet each other often, after all."

"I guess that's true." Clutching at her own wrist a little, Kuroko smiled and slowly moved forward past Akashi. "Well then, have a nice day." She dismissed herself from the scene – only because she found it rather difficult to associate herself with the boy with the red hair. Akashi just stared at her disappearing back, and then stepped into the basketball department.

Kuroko used the back door just to avoid Aomine. She wasn't entirely sure whether she just wanted to escape from the situation of talking to Aomine, or talking to anyone, for that matter. Letting out a rather heavy sigh, Kuroko proceeded to the locker rooms, as practice was almost over anyway. Considering her low presence, barely anyone would even notice that she had disappeared.

Grabbing her bag from her assigned locker (locker qualities actually varied from low to high, depending on what string you were in) which was old and had random parts where the metal cover was caved in, making it look like it had went through a severe earthquake. She didn't bother to even close her locker, too occupied with her own small worries.

"Are you leaving already?"

For the first time ever since she'd joined the Teiko basketball club, she heard a feminine voice from behind – presumably calling her, as no one else seemed to be present in the hallway.

"Practice is almost over anyway." Her voice was low and silent, so Momoi had to lip-read cautiously. "It wouldn't really matter if I miss out the last ten minutes."

"I suppose it wouldn't, but –" The pinkette then abruptly stopped herself. "Wait, are you _the_ Kuroko Tetsuya?" Lunging forward, Momoi grasped Kuroko's shoulders and shook her lightly back and forth. The teal-haired girl's eyes narrowed at the reaction.

"I believe I am the only Kuroko in the club, yes." She nodded. "How can I help you?"

Momoi jumped up and down excitedly, still grasping Kuroko's hand between hers. "I heard so much about you from Dai-chan! He said you were rather hard to spot, so no matter how many times I tried searching for you in the third string gym I couldn't find you, you see – oh, and Akashi-kun also told me about you the other day. He said he was interested in bringing you to the first string gym!"

Too much information was being transferred to her brain at once, that Kuroko couldn't progress everything of what Momoi was saying at once. "Um," she started, "That sounds new to me."

"Midorin talks about you from time to time, too. I don't think I ever heard Mukkun say anything about you, but…you are becoming quite the topic to talk about among the first string members."

"Is that so?" Kuroko whispered softly, not sure how to feel about such a thing. Momoi then glanced at her watch and gasped in realization.

"Sorry, Kuroko-chan, I need to go now. We can talk later though, you know, just two girls together! See you tomorrow!" She rushed toward the first string gym just like that, as Kuroko mumbled her farewell less energetically than the latter. _See you tomorrow…eh._ She stretched her arms and stepped out of the third string gym, getting ready to head back home. She thought about paying Kise a visit, but soon dismissed the thought – she was tired, and she needed rest.

Just when she was about to exit the school gates, someone grabbed her wrist. "Hey, Tetsu!" It was Aomine's gruff voice; a friendly tone that she was used to. "Aren't you going to practice with me today?"

"Sorry," She murmured under her breath. "I was thinking about calling it for a break today."

"But why?" Aomine examined her head to toe, trying to read the situation. He didn't want to be forceful, but he wanted to be of some support nonetheless. The thing that Aomine didn't know about girls, was that not all of them liked nosy boys that asked about everything. Kuroko was one of them.

The female uncomfortably shifted where she was, refusing to speak. However, she also couldn't escape the grasp of Aomine, which led to a very awkward position between herself and the tanned male in front of her. "Um," She glanced down at Aomine's hand that was still clasping on her wrist. Aomine realized this, but ignored it.

"Daiki, don't molest her."

Frowning, Kuroko turned towards the owner of the voice. It was Haizaki Shogo, his arms crossed in front of his chest, throwing both of them a prideful smirk. Then as if he remembered something, he clucked his tongue and let his arms rest next to his sides. "Akashi is calling for her. Apparently he had discussed something with the head coach, and debated on whether to make a change to her string – I wasn't listening."

"Change of strings?" Kuroko's eyes fluttered open in surprise. A transition from third to first was never made in Teiko history, if she had kept the records properly memorized. "But…I was advised to quit the team."

"You were _what_ now?" Aomine growled roughly, as he slowly let go of her throbbing wrist. Haizaki pulled Kuroko to his side as soon as he did so. "Hey, Haizaki." He threw a menacing glare, only to receive a triumphant snort.

"I don't need you tagging along, Daiki. I only need her right now." Kuroko slipped out of Haizaki's arms, waiting for him to finish conversing with Aomine. She was utterly stunned by what she had just been informed by the gray-haired male (he wasn't exactly trustworthy, but he didn't seem to be lying about it, either) – more like it surprised her that Akashi actually possessed any authority over the decisions that the team made. There were looming rumors about the coach taking care of him in particular for some unknown reason, but she never knew that it was to the point that he could participate in club decisions.

Aomine just grunted as he trailed behind them, not able to say anything in response as Haizaki kept his distance with both of them. Their short journey to the main office was done in silence, and Haizaki soon took his leave as soon as they arrived in front of the metal door. "I'm going." He patted Kuroko on the head. "I told you it's good not to be alone with a guy here." Whispering the last part in her ear, he walked off down the hallway, earning a suspicious glance from Aomine.

"Come in." The head coach, Shirogane, signaled for Kuroko to enter his office. Aomine was forced to stay outside, due to Nijimura, who was accompanying the head coach at the time, telling him that it was a private matter that members do not need to know about.

"So," Shirogane started talking, taking off his spectacles as he looked up from his sheet of papers, "I believe you had to talk with our current advisor about your presence right now in the all-boy's basketball club." Kuroko nodded, though not exactly feeling very fond about the stated fact.

"How did you feel when you heard about that?"

The female blinked, clueless at the unexpected situation. "Well," She decided to give herself a head start. "I felt quite depressed, sir. I…was thinking if I really was that much of a hindrance to Teiko's basketball team, as I was never exactly talented at this particular sport."

Coach Shirogane seemed to reconsider his questions before asking another one. "Then what made you want to join this club?"

"My friend from elementary school had promised me that he would be in the finals for the Inter-High tournaments for middle school. I really wanted to play with him, so I vowed to myself that if there weren't any restrictions for a girl joining the club, then I would definitely make it to the finals and compete with him. But…" She trailed off, as if expecting the coach to make out the rest of her empty sentence. The head coach, being the wise man he was, seemed to understand what was going on with quick analyzing skills.

He heaved a sigh, and then sent Kuroko a serious expression. "Just a few minutes ago, Akashi Seijuro, a member of the first string had told be his personal opinion on you and your skills – and also the talent you have with basketball."

 _Akashi?_ Kuroko had no idea why Akashi would ever care about how she did in the club as a member.

"He had claimed that he could see the potential in you – even as a member of the starting lineup." Nijimura's wavering expression was evident, even to Kuroko as he stood behind the coach also hearing all of this. "Though of course, you would participate as a very special member – something we like to call a "Sixth Man". He says your true skill lies in supporting others, rather than playing to stand out than other characters. By what he said – no, I can actually see it myself right now, that you have very low presence."

Kuroko didn't know where this conversation was about to lead. The whole conversation itself was barely making any sense to her.

"A week from now, I will test you to see if you are really worthy of being on first string. Akashi will instruct you further with your training, as he seems to have more extensive knowledge on this particular topic, more so than I do."

"A test, sir?" she repeated, to what he then nodded.

"Kuroko Tetsuya, are you capable of becoming the sixth man of Teiko?"


	4. Chapter 4

**New chapter. How fun. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 4**

" _I know this façade will tear me apart sometime later. I know it will break me down, I know it will destroy me as whole. But what can I do? I can't live without it anymore."_

"Ryouta, can you pass me my uniform?"

"Tomo-chan, I think you forgot to put out the laundry yesterday."

A grumble made its way through the small living room. "Nade, don't focus on such trivial things."

A girl with dark blonde hair – just a little more darker than Kise's sent the male a disgusted look in a jocular manner, snickering. Then she turned her attention back to Tomoyo, the only sibling that had inherited their mother's blood and had pale brown hair. Kanade the second oldest, whined in much disappointment, "But I seriously wanted to wear that blue muffler to look good for Eguchi!"

"Nobody cares about your boyfriend, Nade." As if waiting for Kise to agree, Tomoyo gave the youngest sibling an expectant look. The blonde male just laughed uncomfortably, making sure the sizzling scrambled eggs didn't burn on the pan.

"Well," He slipped the food onto four separate plates. "I think it's helpful to look pleasant once in a while for the person you love," Before a glare was received, Kise quickly added on, "But of course it's not Tomo-nee's fault that the laundry wasn't finished. She was busy yesterday and all…" He decided to not conclude his opinion, thinking it would just worsen the situation. It was a wise choice, since the argument seemed to be dying away.

Looking up in curiosity as if reminded of something, Kanade scanned the living room. "Where's dad?"

"He left twenty minutes ago." Tomoyo responded with a rather bored tone. She played with the eggs for a while and heaved a sigh, passing the plate on for Kanade to finish. "I'll go out to work. Ryouta, don't forget that it's your turn to do the dishes today." Picking up her purse, the eldest headed out to her modeling agency – though there was no reason for her to go out first, since Kanade was going to same place anyway.

"Hey, wait!" Gobbling down the eggs and throwing the plastic platter to the sink, (it went in perfectly, to Kise's surprise) "What's the rush? We're going to the same place, you know?"

"I don't want to go with you."

"That's so like you, Tomo-chan."

Their voices faded, and the door locked behind them as they left. Kise just simply stared at the slightly crumpled family photo that they ever took, stuck on the door with a cute kitty magnet. There was Tomoyo and Kanade sitting next to eachother on the golden-green grass, with their mom standing next to their dad, right behind the sisters. Kise was off to the side on his own, almost like an outcast. Everyone's smile looked so real – yet Kise's seemed quite off; a façade.

He then started to notice the difference in their physical appearance – about how his sisters and parents seemed to possess of a rather vibrant aura, a bright sunshine of dark blonde and pale brown releasing a beautiful, exuberant harmony to create the image of a happy family. If you didn't look closely, then you would be too distracted at the four to realize that Kise was at the corner, trying to fit in with them.

Drenching his hair in the water, Kise stared at himself in the mirror. There was a crack in the middle of it, for some odd reason – crooking the edge of his eye.

"I should go to school." Of course, he was going to be early again. But being early was quite his thing – it was better than meeting up with fan girls during the rush hour around seven-twenty. His house wasn't very far from the school building – approximately five to ten minutes, depending on his pace of walking.

Slipping on his shoes, Kise whistled a tune from his favorite band and started walking through the sunny pavement. It was that time of the year, where the weather was always good, no matter what kind of mood you were in – so you could never fault the weather for being depressed. The blonde wasn't sure whether he liked that or not, but he wasn't in a particularly scornful mood, either.

When he arrived in front of the school gates, what Kise could immediately hear was the squeaking sounds of basketballs and rubbery shoes sliding past the gym floor. The male never knew why it was always the basketball that had attracted his attention – there were other sports club engaging themselves with morning practice too, like baseball and tennis. But it was always the basketball club that had grabbed his eyes and glued them to the basketball courts of the three different strings.

 _I can't join it anyway._ Kise would normally turn away and go straight to classroom, when this happened. However that day, he felt like watching. It wasn't against the rules, wasn't it? Then there was no wrong in just taking a small peek, right? Repeating these trivial questions in mind, Kise tiptoed toward the courts. He stared at the small scenery provided to him through the thin gap that displayed players of the first string running around and shooting.

"Aomine, that shot could've been better." A gruff voice echoed throughout the court.

"You try pulling a trick like that – it's hard as fuck, let me tell you that." Wincing at the sudden change of language usage, Kise leaned in further to have a better look of who it was. He saw an indigo-haired male dribble the ball swiftly past the opposing players, dunking the ball into the hoop like it was nothing. Loud cheers from his own team roared, as Kise fixated his eyes to the game in admiration.

"Who are you?"

"OH GOD –" Shrieking, Kise threw his body backward and slammed into the door, closing the entrance to the court abruptly. Momentarily he had forgotten that the door was made of metal, and that it hurt when you crashed your whole body into it. The pain rushed through later, making Kise regret everything that he did. _Why did I ever come here in the first place?_ His bangs covered his eyes like a double layer over his eyelids. He could feel the cold stare of that unknown person pierce through him. Kise was never good with new encounters so sudden like this.

"Hey," The voice repeated, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you like that."

"No, no, I apologize for blocking your way." He stepped aside, detaching himself from the hard surface of the door. When the blonde looked up he saw a red-haired male glancing at him, instantly making Kise feel slightly uncomfortable. Finally, the so-called newcomer opened his mouth to start a conversation. The model felt better without it though, really.

"Did we meet somewhere?"

Blinking at the unexpected question, Kise proceeded to examine the male in front of him more carefully. "No, I don't think so. Why ask?" Then pausing, he went on. "You might've seen me on television or magazines or something. I work as a model, you see."

Akashi nodded. "That must be it." Then he pressed his fingers around the doorknob to open the entrance again. "Did you want something from here? I can ask the coach if you had some business to attend to at our club."

"No, that's unnecessary. I just came to watch, after all. I was interested and everything. You should just get it off your mind."

Seeming dubious, the red head just tilted his head to the side, trying to be convinced. "Alright, then. Do as you wish." With that he went in and disappeared. Kise decided that was his cue to leave.

 _This is exactly why I'm not supposed to join a club._

 _ **~TLTS~**_

"How's your practice with Akashi goin'?" Aomine threw a ball into the hoop faraway, as Kuroko just dribbled her own. She tilted her head to the side, trying to think of a suitable answer to the question.

"I want to say that it's going well, but… it really is rather difficult to explain just with words. He is teaching me this skill called misdirection, used in magic shows and everything… and honestly, I'm doing it myself, but I don't know how I'm managing to do so."

The male in front of her just frowned in mere confusion. "Then just show me how it works, duh." Kuroko hesitated a little, as she glanced back and forth at Aomine and then her basketball. She inhaled a deep breath as she slowly dribbled it on the ground. Aomine scrunched into his defense form, bending his knees as he stood in front of her. She then threw the ball slightly high up into the air where it came waist level, and performed a swift movement that was literally blind to the average human eye.

Before the latter even noticed, the ball was all the way behind him, as it bumped into the wall next to him and landed on the court. Kuroko caressed the small space between her palm and wrist. "I actually need someone passing to me in order to actually show you how this works, but that's the general idea. How is it –"

"That was _AWESOME_ , Tetsu!" Aomine grasped her shoulders and shook her back and forth, as black dots appeared in front of Kuroko's eyes due the action. "How does that even work?! That was just great! We can totally use that to the advantage to our team- seriously, the move you pulled off just now is something only _you_ can do! Damn, I really want to see how the other guys would react if they saw that just now. Akashi taught you that? Gee, it's terrific to know that he isn't just a bossy asshole."

"Um, Aomine-kun?"

"Midorima? Does he know? Gosh, I want to rip that prideful smirk off his face by showing him your misdirection or whatever thing just now. Murasakibara is boring so he won't show any reaction, but still –"

"Like I said, Aomine-kun –"

"Why isn't coach Shirogane accepting you into the team already? With this anything would be possible!"

Kuroko, exhausted to call out the overly excited male's name once again, just slammed her basketball into male's stomach with her misdirection. Aomine coughed as he stopped talking midway about the never-ending victories Teiko would seize after her arrival in the team along with her new technique. "Aomine-kun, please listen to me."

"You know, that was really painful?" He groaned, now on the ground as he supported his body with his arms stretched backward. "But what's the matter? I am not saying anything wrong – I'm certain that that arrogant, control-freak captain of our team would agree as well. Nijimura-san is pretty nice on terms like this, you know? You can be… I don't know, the phantom sixth man of Teiko! No, would it be woman? Nah, man sounds cooler, not meaning to be sexist –"

Sighing heavily, the female cut the ramble off. "This move isn't perfected yet. I don't even know whether it would actually worked out when played with a team, because I only practiced one-on-ones with Akashi-kun, and also –"

"This is exactly why you are so easily discouraged by what others say." Aomine let out a low grumble in response, as he patted her head, getting back up on his feet. "Low self-esteem doesn't help at all – have some confidence in your skills, Tetsu." He then stepped forward, staring out at the dark night sky. "It's getting late. Let's go home now." Kuroko gave a curt nod at that, running to the other side of the court to grab her bag. She hadn't noticed that she had picked up the habit of not changing into her uniform after practice from Murasakibara – nor did Aomine, who always did the same.

"Hey, wanna grab something from the convenience store?" The male pointed at the bright, illuminating white sign that said 'Momo 24-Hours.' If she was right, then Kise's turn should've still been going. As if to prove her memory quite accurate, her eyes stopped abruptly as they were captured by a vibrant dash of blonde. There was nobody present at the store, and Kise's expression was glum – Kuroko had never seen Kise in such a despondent state when she was around. An unapproachable aura looming over him, the blonde was staring down at something, which Kuroko presumed to be his phone.

She pushed Aomine along. "Let's just go." Aomine gave her a scowl, and then noticed Kise as well. _That guy…_

" _Isn't that Kise Ryouta?"_ Aomine had reminded himself of Momoi saying so the other day, about a week ago. However, also being able to notice the rather odd atmosphere of the blonde, he did not retort and went ahead with the girl.

Kuroko stopped in front of a small apartment, in which Aomine assumed that it was where she had dwelled alone. He had never actually visited all the way to her place, as they tended to go separate ways as soon as they were done. Today was a special day, because the indigo-haired male wanted to cheer up the girl (though he wasn't entirely sure whether he had succeeded in doing so or not).

"Thank you for coming all the way here." Kuroko smiled brightly, which brought fervor to Aomine's heart. "I would want to treat you to something since you came, but it surely is too late…" Looking rather apologetic, Aomine understood what the female meant. He definitely didn't want to be treated like Haizaki at this time of the day.

"It's fine, really. My mom wouldn't be very happy if she realized I was hanging out at a girl's place right now. I'll leave you here for today, then. Good night, Tetsu." Waving, Aomine stepped past the guardhouse of the apartment as Kuroko gave him a nod of farewell and walked into the building. He didn't depart right away though, he stared at the lighted inside of the area where Kuroko had just been standing, remembering her smile.

 _The last thing I needed for the day was to recognize my feelings for someone._ He inhaled a deep breath of anticipation and fear. Loving a person had always scared him – whether that was someone of an opposite gender, a family member, or simply a special person. As they all said in movies: _"Love is like a double-edged sword."_

His phone started ringing, the newest song of his favorite band exploding throughout the whole street. Jumping in surprise he quickly picked up, and then paused as he saw the caller ID: "Mom."

"Hello?"

" _Daiki? Where are you?"_

"Almost there, mom."

" _I see. Get 'ere soon, then. Dinner's ready for your stomach."_

"'Kay." He hung up and stared up at the sky that had absolutely no stars – only the half-moon seeming to lighten up the pitch-black blanket over their heads. He went past the exact same convenience store on the way, and he stopped to look at where the blonde used to be sitting. Now on the counter, a black-haired male had replaced him, with Kise nowhere to be seen at all.

 _I wonder what was with that guy just now._ Aomine thought, the image of the gloomy male reappearing in his head. It had reminded him of someone he knew – a very familiar expression that had always been plastered on the same face of a very important person. It was very different in some aspects, though. Kise's was more like exhaustion, and the expression he knew of was closer to despair. The gap between those two emotions was gigantic, and Aomine didn't want to bother about it ever again.

"Kise… Ryouta, was it?" Mumbling aloud, Aomine walked along the busy streets of Tokyo. _Doesn't seem like a very upbeat chap, like everyone says._ He then ran his whole hand through his hair, messing it all up like a blue bush. "Why am I always meddling with stuff that aren't my freaking business?" Kicking the plastic bottle in front of him off to the side, Aomine just walked across the road, toward his house.

He didn't care at all – not for Kise, or Kuroko.

He really didn't.

 _ **~TLTS~**_

The morning breeze was rather chilly, but the sun was still bright. It was quite a good omen, Kuroko had decided – she had taken a glance at the _Oha Asa_ channel for the day, just as Midorima had warned her. She really didn't believe in such supernatural and nonscientific foretellings, but it never hurt to take some preparations before the real event had begun. She didn't have her lucky item for the day, (because it was a wooden tanuki sculpture) but had remembered all the precautions the program had filled her with.

Her phone vibrated as soon as she locked her door.

 _From: Aomine Daiki_

 _To: Me_

 _Hey. You ready?_

Kuroko wasn't entirely sure herself, now that the question had been thrown at her. Her test was apparently going to be held during the competition between the practice game held with Teiko and their rival school, Kurokami Junior High. Their players were about as well trained in comparison with the first string of Teiko – which meant that they stood at a completely different league with Kuroko herself. She possibly couldn't be prepared. Her hands were shaking, and her thin legs were barely supporting her own body from the pressure of the day.

 _From: Me_

 _To: Aomine Daiki_

 _Re: I think so. Not sure, though._

She closed her phone and threw it into her bag. The game wasn't held until after school, as all practice games were like. Kurokami was scheduled to come by three. Deliberately stepping on her own foot, Kuroko tried to stop moving her leg up and down in anxiously while she was in the bus.

As soon as she arrived at the gym, she moved past the third string courts and headed to first string, where Akashi, Midorima, and Nijimura were already engaging themselves with morning practice. Kuroko still had her uniform on, as she creaked the door open and made her way to the locker rooms.

"Hey, you!"

Kuroko's shoulders hunched as a loud, demanding voice obviously directed at her thundered throughout the empty court. She turned around and saw Nijimura narrowing her eyes at her. "… Yes, captain?"

"Is that a way to greet your upperclassmen? Don't think you're invisible now, just because the dense other ones can't see you – because I spotted you crystal clear. Now, what do you say?" He held his chin up and looked at Kuroko, who awkward bowed down. She had no chance to ever face Nijimura like this alone in the morning, as first string and third string had no encounters whatsoever, not even with the captain or vice captain. Even if they did, there was never a moment where they would meet any members alone.

"G-Good morning, captain." She mumbled, as she hurriedly ran off to the locker rooms, seeming to forget to see Nijimura's hilarious reaction of it. The captain laughed aloud when she was finally out of sight, throwing the basketball Akashi had secretly passed to him from behind into the hoop from the 2-point line.

"She's a funny one." He hummed, showing that he was in a rather good mood.

Midorima tilted his head to the side, puzzled. "What's the matter, Nijimura-san?" It was rare to see Nijimura with a grin on his face, as the captain was always so serious, and also because of the troublemakers of the first string that always gave him a hard time right off the bat of the day. Akashi was thinking the exact same thing – it was definitely infrequent to see Nijimura with such a great attitude.

"Firstly, it's quite an enlightenment to have a female member on the team." Nijimura smirked, as Midorima and Akashi responded accordingly by throwing their basketballs at the male in disbelief. Chuckling in amusement, the black-haired male shook his head. "Joking, obviously. I just found her… really fascinating. You rarely have members like that, you know… apart from the fact she is the first female member we ever had."

"Is it something about her personality?" Akashi inquired, curious himself. Nijimura stretched his left arm, pushing it downward behind his head as he held the elbow with his right hand, crossing them, and shrugged.

"I suppose you can say that. I mean, really – it's kind of cute to have a girl like that on a team. Those types look vulnerable but are surprisingly fierce on their own feet, you see." Humming a tune after finishing his sentence, Nijimura threw another ball from the 3-point line easily. Kuroko then entered, as if she had known that the conversation had ended. Nijimura's smile was wiped off from his face, hiding his delightful mood.

The female looked quite uncomfortable with the entire first string members glancing at her later throughout the morning practice session. She simply decided to dribble the ball on her own as usual, trying her best to avoid the attention focused on her back. Well, really, nobody actually noticed her in the corner at all – but those who did proceeded to inform others, and this wave continued until everyone knew.

A rough hand was placed on her shoulder a few minutes after the lonesome silence. "That's dangerous." The voice was droopy but also firm – it was a voice that she recognized, but couldn't quite recall who it actually belonged to. She stared for a while at the gigantic shadow that towered over her figure, and then turned around to see Murasakibara Atsushi looking down at her.

Nijimura finally smiled openly in front of everyone, proud that the purple head was making some progress with tardiness. He had apparently been arriving to morning practices a lot more than before for some unknown reason, in which Murasakibara always covered with that something had occurred with his family schedule, and so on. Nonetheless, it was good news to the captain and head coach who was fussing over this matter every single time.

"What?" Kuroko blinked, as Murasakibara just wordlessly pointed at the broken racks in front of her feet, as well as the sharp edge of the rusty metal pointing upward. She had never noticed that she had almost crashed into it, due to the many thoughts that were corrupting her mind. A chill traveled up her spine, her face going comically pale as she imagined what could've happened if Murasakibara didn't stop her. "Thank you."

The purple-haired male seemed mystified. "Nobody really lives out of their consciousness to the point that they wouldn't realize that they are on the verge of death, normally." Her face flushing with embarrassment, Kuroko quickly stepped away from the male and stumbled over her own words. "Well, I hope you just won't fail that test or whatever you are doing. Or be a burden on the team… something like that." He walked off, as the female just stared at the broad back of the male.

 _Gee, that helped._ Kuroko thought angrily with much sarcastic mannerisms. The bell rang soon after, and members of students immediately filed out of the gymnasium. The girl was eventually the last one out, being naturally slow with everything. Aomine was waiting for her at the edge of the court, staring at his watch. He didn't seem to care much about being late to class.

"Hey," He smiled at her. "Saw you practicing, but didn't really bother to start up a conversation. Didn't want to disturb you or anything, you know." Kuroko nodded thankfully, though she remembered how her last minutes of practice was basically just Murasakibara saving her life (and then saying a sassy comment) and walking off.

They made their way out and headed to class in comfortable silence. Kuroko took this as a fairly good sign, as she didn't really hang out with other girls at school. Judging just by how much time she spent with Aomine, or just by the amount of conversations they had for the past two months or so – Aomine Daiki would definitely be the person she would claim she knew best. _Knew best?_ Kuroko almost paused in her steps, finally seeming to realize the severity of the situation. _I wonder if it's really good that a guy knows me best at this school… or that I know a guy best…_

Parting ways at the staircase, the second bell went off as soon as they bid their farewells to one another. Midorima Shintaro, her partner was sitting alone in the middle of the classroom, glancing expectantly at her desk now and then. She dragged the door open and then closed it, all her classmates not even paying attention at all. It was almost as if everything she touched and shared were invisible and unheard along with her – as well as sound. However, the green head turned his pair of glasses instantly towards where she was coming from, and heaved a sigh.

"You were eight seconds short to being tardy."

"Oh –"

Another bell went off, signaling the start of class. The shooting guard sent her a triumphant glare as if to prove his chiding meaningful. "I'm sorry?" Kuroko raised her eyebrow, uncertain what Midorima must be gaining from seeing her come early to class. _Or does he not like it when people simply come late?_ The teacher entered the classroom and set his folders and files on the desk in the middle, and picked up his piece of chalk as he began his lecture.

While completing the given assignment, Midorima had inaudibly passed on a petite and rather adorable keychain to her desk. "What's this?" Inquired the female, as Midorima cleared his throat.

"Your lucky item for the day, obviously. What could it be?" Kuroko took a closer look at it. A small vanilla milkshake was dangling at the edge of the chain, a thin plastic straw hanging in midair. Midorima seemed rather flustered. "And by the way, I didn't get this for your test today or anything, so don't misunderstand. I simply thought it would be rather humiliating to see you fail when you haven't taken any precautions whatsoever –"

"Thank you." Kuroko interrupted the male – not in any means trying to be rude, but because she thought it was rather cute that the male was getting nervous from presenting her a keychain. "I will cherish it." She added, not meaning to be romantic in any senses, but just to add the friendly formalities.

Looking quite honored, Midorima just huffed. "Such things are unnecessary."

The female just laughed.

 _ **~TLTS~**_

"Are you feeling alright?" Akashi Seijuro, now changed into his jersey for the upcoming practice match handed Kuroko a bottle of water. "I honestly believe you would excel in this test if you aren't feeling anxious or anything, but…" He examined the girl, who was now changed into an extra jersey that was quite big for her – it was borrowed by the vice captain. "Well, I would like to see your audacious spirit for this sport." With that he departed, leaving Kuroko in her panicky state.

The gym got noisier as the players from Kurokami made their flamboyant entrance. Some first string members gossiped joyfully among their seats, simply admiring the sight of the tense meeting between Nijimura and the other captain. Of course, Kuroko had no cool to even notice such things occurring in the vicinity, more or less realize that the colorful bunch was all sending her worried looks of their own.

"Hey, are you sure it's alright to send her on her own like that?" Midorima frowned, sensing their demoralized state of Kuroko. Akashi just tilted his head sideways, staring at the girl that was now looking ready to bite her own finger off from with anxiety.

Leaning back on the wall, the red head just closed his eyes. "She wouldn't be alone. We would all be on the bench watching, and if something goes wrong we can just request for a member change… and besides, Aomine would be on court with her. Why do you think I went through all the trouble of attempting to convince the coach, even after the top principle we were supposed to keep intact until our second year: _We're all required to remain as bench players during our first year, and only exceptions would be made during emergency cases_."

"Would this count as an emergency, though?" Murasakibara questioned, not much out of curiosity, but rather seeming like a rhetorical one, if someone was cautious enough to read through the dawdling tone of the giant. "Honestly, we could've left her alone at the third string courts, and she would've eventually just quit the team on her own. It's not like Teiko wouldn't win without her, so why was the process necessary in the first place?"

"How would you know a tool is useless when you haven't used it?" Haizaki murmured in his usual gruff voice. "Such things are yet to remain known when not experimented, Atsushi. Don't draw conclusions on your own." Midorima seemed surprised by Haizaki's insightful comment that was scarcely- no, _never_ made.

The point guard slowly averted his gaze to Haizaki, and then nodded. "I would hate to admit, but Haizaki is right. We would never know what change could possibly occur after Kuroko passes this test… whether she would become a beneficial to us… or…"

"A burden."

The buzzer went off, which brought the divided attention directly towards the middle of the gym. The court was opened to the opposing teams, as Kuroko awkwardly joined in the unfamiliar lineup. She could feel that barely anyone was noticing her presence – and really, she was better off that way.

Furrowing his eyebrows, the referee spoke up. "Teiko Junior High, you are missing one member."

"We have one right here." Nijimura placed his hand on her head. "Sorry, she's rather challenging to see." Kurokami's players freaked out, finally noticing the female. The referee nodded, and then blew the whistle, signaling the start of the match. Aomine gave a small nudge to Kuroko's shoulder to ease her up.

As soon as the match began, everything happened in a moment that seemed like a second. The ball was out of her reach and sight, and the players were all scattered around the court, grabbing the ball back and forth – as Teiko made their first goal. _I need to think._ Kuroko inhaled a deep breath. _There's one player on my right from my team, as well as two at the opposite side of our goal. Aomine-kun just made a goal, and is coming this way…_

Opening her eyes, Kuroko stepped forward, a small, cool breeze seeming to wrap around her body as she spun herself into the air between the players, going unnoticed as the 'shadow'. Only a few players managed to notice, as the female pushed the ball away from its original course as her palm came in contact with the rubbery surface. She slammed it away towards Aomine who was looking prepared to catch her ball. His eyes were saying: _"Pass it to me."_

Then it all just happened in less than a second. The ball split across the air, releasing a lightning of blue as it was passed to the power forward, who made a dunk into the goal with ease. The scoreboard changed into 7-3, with Teiko leading.

Dropping her hand in disbelief, Kuroko's eyes widened as she witnessed the cheers of delight of her own team. Nijimura threw her a flashy grin. "That was quite a move you pulled off, newbie."

"Tetsu, that was great!" Aomine shouted, as he ran towards her as the whistle blew again, with Kurokami ripping past Teiko's players. Kuroko focused her eyes on the ball once again. Nothing came into her mind as she concentrated on simply passing, and with one goal echoing through her head – to lead her team to victory.

"Game over! Teiko wins, to 56-51!"

"Thank you for the game!"

The tanned male walked over, drenched in sweat. Then without uttering a single word, he held out his fist in front of her. For a while, Kuroko had no idea what he was implying – and then when Aomine just glanced at her once again, she balled her own hands and hit the other's fist. It was almost like their own way of saying that it was a good game that they did well.

"Kuroko Tetsuya." Coach Shirogane approached her. His smile wasn't stern, but very warm as he nodded. "You passed the test."

"We will welcome you as the sixth man of Teiko."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for the 100+ followers!**

 **NOTE: This chapter folds into the end of the first semester for their first year – the reason the chapters are quite fast-paced is because the first book (this one) has 3 years of their middle school year to cover, and during their first year (before Kise enters the team) nothing major happens.**

 **Also, this chapter wouldn't include a lot of scenes told in Kuroko's perspective as my previous chapters. But anyway,**

 **Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 5**

" _A father – meant to protect their children, love them, and take care of them. However, that definition is rather foreign to my ears."_

The usual uninteresting mornings.

The usual dull sunshine, the usual boring routine, and the usual lonesome emptiness.

Aomine Daiki had completely melted into his new lifestyle, which had been altered for quite a while now. His days didn't start with basketball, or waiting for his dad to return from his trip back after an important game. It didn't end with his parents wishing him good night before going to sleep (well, maybe he was too old for those), or his dad chattering off about another miraculous story from the games.

Now, his life started with the thoughts of a certain girl, and ended with her, too.

Of course, he did other things. It was just that the female had taken up such a large portion of his life now, that he couldn't possibly get her off his mind. The thought itself was a ridicule to laugh at if Momoi should ever know. Aomine Daiki, passionately in love. Life couldn't possibly take a more unexpected turn than that.

His mom didn't seem to care anymore whether he was late to school or not. She had stopped preparing his breakfast all of a sudden at some point in time, and he had naturally gotten along with it. It was smoothly performed, just like that – after his dad's death; nothing was out of the ordinary for the Aomine household.

 _Great, I might be a little earlier to practice than usual._ He thought to himself, not certain whether that was a good thing or not. The male was practically in love with coming late to practices – before Kuroko had decided to enter the first string, that is, and before his morning routine was edited as whole.

Locking the door behind him, Aomine enjoyed the cool breeze hitting his face. It had been about a week or two since Kuroko had joined them during practice sessions. It was evident that she was having much difficulty ever since she joined, since first string practice menus were about the triple the amount of what third string had done. Being naturally born with lower stamina that others, the female was always out of breath on her eleventh lap around the court.

"'M here." He creaked open the gym door, his eyes instinctively searching for Kuroko as soon as he entered.

"She's not here yet." Midorima grunted, obviously annoyed as he threw another ball into the hoop from the three-point line. "At least try making it not so noticeable that you have a crush on her, Aomine." Akashi chuckled in amusement, as Nijimura proceeded to humming the childish "sitting-in-a-tree" tune.

The captain jumped into the air and dunked a basketball through the net before speaking up. "Our newbie seems to be popular, you know? Lots of boys like her over here, including a few third-years. And of course, I enjoy having her around as well."

"Just don't sexually harass her, and all your limbs should be safe and sound." Akashi glared with meaningful mannerisms at his captain, and Nijimura just shook his head.

"Just what do you think of me, Akashi?" The raven head simply clucked his tongue. "There's a reason why people are fond of others. Kuroko has the ability to attract surrounding beings that pay enough attention to notice her, but for those who care less, she is just nothing but…a "nobody". Which is why, all of you –" Nijimura stopped himself abruptly as he attempted to shoot another ball from the three-point line, but missing as it hit the backboard and fell to the ground. "– you should care most for her."

" _Us_?" Midorima made a face, as if he couldn't comprehend his captain's words at all – in which he couldn't. "What does she have to do with us?"

Nijimura just cracked his neck. "You'll see what I mean…not anytime now, but soon." With that, the bell rang, and the four first years were left in confusion and bewilderment. Aomine narrowed his eyes and finally turned to Kuroko, who was cleaning up in the corner. Not waiting for her this time, the male went ahead and joined in with the other four individuals.

"What do you think he meant?" Murasakibara, who arrived last minute, questioned – although not as curious, he couldn't understand what Nijimura really wanted to get through them. "Why would we be acquainted with her that far to even care?"

Akashi glanced at the giant. "Don't say it that way, Murasakibara. I am sure Nijimura-san had a message he wanted to get through." Although quite mystified himself, the red head remained polite to his upperclassmen. "He probably just meant that we have to take care of her, being in the same grade and same string now and everything. Don't think too deeply about it."

Midorima agreed accordingly. "Considering the fact that some of your brains might implode if you ever think too deeply, that is."

"Just how lowly do you think of us, you imbecile?" Aomine spat, as Midorima just skillfully avoided the question by ignoring him. Murasakibara didn't exactly seem to care – more like he was too distracted by the phone in his hand. He was scanning a message busily, and then released a tired sigh. His frustrated expression resembled a that of one's mom when they were dealing with a troublesome child.

Momoi, who jogged up to them and walked alongside Aomine, tilted her head to the side. "What's wrong, Murasakibara-kun?" The purple head looked up and blinked, as if he just noticed the pinkette.

"Nothing." He then paused and stole a quick glimpse at the school gates. "Ne, Aka-chin…" So far, Murasakibara only addressed the redhead with such a suffix. He had obviously taken a great liking and respect in the latter, trailing behind his footsteps every single minute. "Would you mind informing the captain that I would be missing out on practice today?" Akashi gave a look of disbelief to Murasakibara. There were several reasons for this; Nijimura and the coach was extremely strict about being absent from practice without a reasonable excuse. Furthermore, Nijimura was already trying to handle Haizaki, who always managed to escape the fearful grasp of the captain. The list went on, but in conclusion, it was not extremely beneficial for a member of the basketball club to miss out on practice.

"Your reason being?" At least attempting to hear the giant out, Akashi inquired – but only received pursed lips and silence. Murasakibara was always like that when the situation he was required to clarify was overly complicated. His behavior still within the line of being amicable, the redhead waited. The others went ahead, coming to a conclusion that it wasn't a place for them to be standing between.

While the two were conversing, Aomine couldn't help but think about all the conflict and problems everyone around him seemed to be going through. Everyone had their own issues, like how Kuroko always seemed bright and optimistic, but had her inner demons pulling down her self-esteem and confidence. Kise, albeit the fact that Aomine barely knew anything about him, seemed to be dealing with rather problematic matters. Then there was Murasakibara, who was always meddled up with chores and cleaning up after his family – or at least, that's what it sounded like, from most of the excuses he made for being late.

 _Then what about me?_ Something echoed within his head, bringing several thoughts and memories flowing into his mind. The Aomine household had definitely transformed into a somewhat cold and foreign place, ever since his dad had disappeared from his life. Everything, everywhere, and everyone – all the good times he had spent with his family all replayed in his brain like an old movie, whizzing with black and white images.

Nothing was the same.

"Dai-chan?" Momoi peeked her face in front of the male. "What's wrong? Your classroom is that way, isn't it?" She pointed at the long hallway, across the lockers and toward his homeroom, where it was labeled "1-F". He groaned, pulling down the urge to complain to his friend why she hadn't warned him earlier. He stepped back, his bag slung over his shoulder as he rubbed the back of his neck.

His eyes widened with anticipation when he saw Kuroko's figure being reflected on the windows next to him. She walked up the stairs and headed the opposite direction, not noticing the male's back facing towards her. Aomine turned around to see if she as still there – but Kuroko had vanished. _She's going to disappear too._ Whispering against his ear, his inner thoughts tempted his pessimistic side to reveal itself. _Just like_ he _did._

Clenching his fists, Aomine said nothing.

 _ **~TLTS~**_

Summer break had begun. Hot wind entering the dark room, Akashi Seijuro savored the lonesome silence he rarely received. The flamboyant residence was for once calm and quiet, nobody present except for him. Exams were over, and a mass of pressure as now temporarily removed from his lean shoulders. His father was out at Sapporo for a business trip, and wasn't going to come back in a while.

To be easily worded, it was heaven.

His body ached from his father's so-called disciplinary works the previous day before his departure to the airport. Bruises varying in size dotted his body, though not his face – he avoided that place as much as possible, just not to gather much attention from others. Now, this wasn't very often – since Akashi was in a basketball club, his father had attempted to lessen the amount of…bluntly saying, beatings done to the poor boy. But it didn't stop him from what he was doing.

He glanced at the clock cautiously. It was still nine in the morning – Teiko still continued to hold afternoon practices during break. Akashi was fully aware of the fact that Nijimura would question the bruises (that covered his arms and legs, so those were kind of challenging to hide) and he wasn't looking forward to that happening. It also wasn't quite possible to _skip_ practice, because that would simply ruin the reputation he had carried along the semester.

Amidst all his groaning and frustration, his phone beeped.

 _From: Midorima Shintaro_

 _To: Me_

 _Akashi, I think you might've forgot, but the first day of practice begins at eight-thirty. Hurry up, the captain's shouting at me right now._

Akashi cursed. Loudly. Ruin his reputation? He _already_ did, apparently.

Throwing his phone into his bag, Akashi quickly changed into his T-shirt and pants. It was really too hot outside for long pants, but he really had no choice. The bruises on his arms just had to be covered with a clumsy excuse. Brushing his teeth, the redhead started wondering over the fact of why his house had to be so _freaking_ humongous when only two people dwelled in it.

Just when he was running towards the gates, closing the double doors behind him, his phone rang. The ID read as Nijimura Shuzou. He regretted exchanging his number with the captain immediately. Normally he would go to school with his butler, but he had no alternative. Swiftly getting in a taxi, Akashi picked up his phone – only to be greeted with a scream to his ear.

" _AKASHI, WHAT THE FUCK HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU?!"_

Even the driver winced at the volume. Akashi sent the guy an apologetic expression, and lowered his voice as he sunk into the cheap leather of the seat. "I'm sorry, captain – it seems like I wasn't keeping track of time." He actually was – just forgot. "I will get there in about ten minutes."

A low growl tickled the tip of his earlobe, as the first year just patiently waited for the latter to respond. _"…I will assume you have some reasonable explanation for this, or maybe some inconvenience – but there are no seconds, Akashi. Understood?"_ The response was rather late, but it satisfied Akashi anyway. Ending the call, the redhead placed the phone back into his bag and stared at the scenery outside. He had never bothered to actually take a minute to look around his surroundings – too many thoughts usually overwhelming him with pressure.

The taxi came to a stop after a while, and Akashi paid the driver the money necessary. He stepped out of the car and winced as his bruises rubbed against the seat as he got off – it truly was the worst time to be moving when you were injured, when the bruises were all turning purple and yellow. He clucked his tongue as he realized that the color was becoming more and more visible on his arms.

"Akashi, you're so late." Midorima grunted, throwing his basketball to a senior and walking toward him. He then came to an abrupt stop and paused to scan at the red head's attire. "Long pants? Are you serious? During _this_ weather?" A comment was made from the brief observation, and then a more concerned one tagged along. "What's with the bruises on your arms?"

"I forgot to put my short ones in the laundry." Lies. "And I accidentally tripped down the stairs yesterday, when it was still slippery." More lies to follow. Seeming dubious, the shooting guard just fixed the position of his glasses as he raised his left brow. He had witnessed many cases of his father's patients when they were heavily injured. Bruises didn't appear in such a way after simply falling down the stairs.

But not interrogating any further, the two resumed into practice. Nijimura seemed prepared for another admonishing statement, but held himself back when seeing the physical state of Akashi. "Clumsy day?" He asked, and the redhead nodded glumly. "Well, be careful the next time you fall down the stairs. Thought you had experience with martial arts?"

"I do. Just couldn't get into the stance fast enough." In rebuttal, Akashi lied. Well, it was true that he had experience with martial arts – it's just that his father was way more skilled than he was. The head coach didn't utter a word as he blew his whistle for the members to continue, and Akashi and Midorima joined the crowd as they started running.

Aomine was running in front alongside Nijimura and the vice captain, while Murasakibara was simply taking his time around the middle. Akashi and Midorima stayed behind due to having a late head start, and Kuroko (as always) was dead last. Then the indigo-haired slowed down to Midorima and Akashi's line, and started off with a frown on his face. "Rare to see you late." Clearly directed at the redhead, Aomine commented, and Akashi wondered how many times he would have to repeat the same lies to people for the day.

"I wasn't keeping track of the time." He flinched as his foot came in contact with the ground and a painful sensation rushed through his body. Practice was truly unbeneficial for wound treatment. Aomine gave a nod, though seemingly unconvinced. Akashi never missed a minute on the clock – he was accurate, exact, and absolute. He kept track of time almost to the point it could be labeled as perfect. It was rather tough to imagine the male not doing so.

Midorima on the other hand, was certain that Akashi was spurting lies from his mouth – and that something was just wrong, but couldn't quite place his finger on what it could be. _'I fell down the stairs'…eh._ Jogging past a gigantic sakura tree that now was dotted with green leaves, the spectacled male reminded himself of something that had been mentioned on the Internet.

 _I fell down the stairs is such a cliché excuse._

Practice ended on a friendly note, with coach Shirogane bidding the members farewell. Each of them all headed home, wet towels around their necks with water bottles in hand. Chattering off in the corner were the managers, and laughing their heads off down the pavement were the seniors. The colorful bunch gathered around and decided to unknowingly form their own crowd.

"Kuroko, how 'bout going to convenience store?" Aomine asked, and Kuroko nodded in agreement. Midorima shrugged, and Murasakibara tagged along. That left Akashi, who usually never went on any outings with any of them.

"…Sure." The redhead smiled, "It's not like I have anything better to do." Seemingly startled with this friendly answer, the others glanced at one another. Kuroko led the way, as the others followed behind her steps, talking quietly amongst themselves as they crossed the road. Akashi had never actually hung out with other people, so this experience was quite new to him. As he looked up and examined his friends, he could feel the warmth and fervor illuminating from their expressions. He wondered if he looked like he was a part of them, too.

The door automatically opened as the group set foot on the doormat. A female welcomed them in, wearing the apron and cap. "Is that guy not here today?" Aomine questioned, as the female expressed bewilderment with her whole body in response. "The blonde model." The tanned basketball player added on, suggesting helpful descriptions.

Catching up immediately once he had mentioned 'blonde', the female shook her head with disappointment. "My deepest apologies, sir…Kise-kun's shift doesn't begin until three."

"Oh." Aomine shrugged his shoulders, "No need to apologize. I was just curious." Then he turned around and faced the others. "So, are you guys going to buy anything? We're at a convenience store, ya' know." He wobbled down the freezer to reach the popsicle located in the very corner, then stood up straight again. Midorima also reached down to grab the red-bean flavored soft ice cream that had a plastic cover over it.

Kuroko just grabbed her usual vanilla milkshake from the fridge, as Murasakibara roamed through the chips and snack section delightfully. He seemed to be stuck between his usual original potato chips and the strawberry-coated maiubos, but then eventually went for the cheaper potato chips.

"Akashi, how about you?" Midorima tilted his head to the side. Akashi shook his head.

"I don't have anything I want –" Before Akashi could properly finalize his sentence, a white horse was pulled up in front of him. Well, more like a small figurine of a white horse. Kuroko had picked it up from the shelves that had a neat line of different animal figurines sitting on it. "What's this?" He caught the horse as Kuroko dropped it on his palm.

Midorima cleared his throat, making it his cue to provide an explanation. "It's a general lucky charm for Sagittarius, the archer. White horses represent elegance, purity and beauty – or even mysterious. I am presuming you have looked through the _Oha Asa_ homepage, Kuroko?" The female nodded vigorously.

"I thought it would suit you, Akashi-kun." She then walked to the cashier and took out her purse.

"Wait, Kuroko," The red head grasped her arm hurriedly. "You don't need to buy it, honestly –"But Kuroko had already paid for the figurine before Akashi could utter another word. She silently hooked it on the zipper of the male's bag, and then gave her work a satisfied grin. Aomine also leaned in to take a look, and patted Akashi's shoulder.

"Looks good with the bag, Akashi!" Fully aware of the fact that Aomine was half-teasing him, the point guard elbowed him in the stomach and released an inaudible 'hmph'. Then he faced Kuroko as his expression turned somewhat softer.

"Thank you, Kuroko." The female just sent him a curt nod, as the crowd stepped out of the store. Eventually they all split up and headed separate ways, their houses all located in different corners and roads.

Akashi slowly opened his door as it made a small 'creak', it moving to his right. His hand was still was on the cold brass doorknob as he stared at the dark hallway that seemed endless in front of him. He had never realized how desolate the residence looked – not even when he was in his thoughtful moods. He closed the door behind him and locked it, and turned on the lights, lighting up the hallway.

Then he proceeded to glance at the gigantic portrait of his mother that dwelled on the side of the wall, just before he entered his room. His mom looked amicable – and she actually was, when she was still alive. Akashi Shiori was her name, and according to his relatives, "Elegant" was her middle name. She liked to keep a very optimistic and positive attitude to everything, and was gentle.

But death took her away, and fate was cruel to Akashi.

Opening his door, Akashi realized he had left the window open before leaving. He found that odd somehow – he never opened the windows. He stepped towards them and locked it, shutting the curtains close as well. Beneath his feet was a pile of clothes that he had thrown on the floor before rushing outside, and a random emergency kit that was lying upside down with a roll of bandages sprawled all over.

Picking up the rubbish and blood-soaked towels, Akashi tossed them into the pile of laundry outside his room. It was rather troublesome that he had forgotten to clean up his room yesterday. _No,_ he reminded himself, _I just couldn't bring myself to do it, that's all._ Staring emptily at the stack of clothing, Akashi heaved a sigh and slammed the door shut behind him as he departed.

 _ **~TLTS~**_

Kuroko Tetsuya tapped her pencil rhythmically on the wooden surface of the desk, unable to concentrate on her homework. She still had a pile of essays to complete before summer break ended (even though there were still about 3 weeks remaining) and basketball practice was tiring her out. First string training menus were simply too challenging to be completed at her level, but she also couldn't just expect the coach to lower the standards for her just because she was a 'girl'.

 _Hm…_ The algebraic equations seemed like mere alphabets and numbers to her eyes, as she drifted off into more trivial thoughts.

Then her phone buzzed. Kuroko picked it up, and opened it without any suspicion – the reason being that she was too distracted to even care.

" _Ah_ – _no, Soji-aniki, that goes to the cabinet. Wait, not there it_ – _you know what? I will fix it later on."_ Ranting and complaints were muffled in the background as Kuroko heard a small click on the other side. _"Uh…is this Kuroko Tetsuya?"_

Not knowing how to respond to the unknown number, the female had no choice but to reply with a polite greeting as well. "Yes, and just who might you be?"

" _This is Murasakibara Atsushi."_ Blinking endlessly (almost as if she was clueless), Kuroko tried to think of at least million reasons why out of all people in Japan, Murasakibara would be the one to call her. _"You see, it turns out that Momoi-chan planned for us to go to this new mall that just completed their construction near Tokyo Tower, and she was asking if you wanted to come with us. Tomorrow we have a day off of practice, so…"_

"Sure, why not?" Kuroko answered, "But how did you get my phone number?"

" _Midorima-kun didn't have the guts to call you, so he gave me your phone number."_

"Oh." That explained everything. Kuroko didn't question further and eventually they hung up, and the girl casually walked up to her closet. She pondered on what to wear for the tomorrow, as she never went out on an outing with a bunch of club members or anyone her age that were mostly males. Finally picking out a normal white T-shirt and jean shorts, she placed her purse right next to it and got ready to go to sleep.

The next morning started out wonderfully. Kuroko was the first one at the train station, wearing her pink cap as she stared at her phone and the time. _Was I too early?_ They were supposed to meet at ten, and then leave to the mall together. Akashi did have his own private van that could hold more than ten people with ease, but Momoi insisted that they had to take the train for the anticipation that awaited them, along with the fact that Akashi had never went on a train before.

"Kuroko." Midorima's low voice boomed throughout the vicinity. He stood next to her and leaned on the pillar she was also leaning on. Then he pointed at the benches, and motioned for them to sit instead after a while. So they headed to the empty bench and sat next to each other, as some random middle schoolers whispered begrudgingly about Kuroko.

Soon after Akashi and Aomine arrived, the tanned male obviously frustrated about something that the two had argued on their way. Momoi came running with Murasakibara by her side. They all got tickets, with Midorima doing Akashi's, only because the redhead didn't know how. The group came to a conclusion that a struggling Akashi was rather adorable too.

The mall was gigantic.

That was the only description that could be made. People were milling inside with massive crowds and circles, and newly opened shops and stores were starting new events and sales as customers rushed in to try them out. As the group walked around, pushing through people in attempt to find a more unoccupied area, Kuroko realized that there were several screens all around the mall that were displaying different photo shoots for the month of different magazines – mostly from _Zunon Boy,_ the infamous magazine that was going crazy between teenagers.

Among the variety of female and male models, one screen showed Kise Ryouta, smiling with a scarf around his neck. He looked great – a perfect model, with a perfect smile.

Just then-

"OHMYGOSH –"

"KISE RYOUTA! IT'S RYOUTA-SAMA!"

 _Speak of the devil_. Kuroko turned around dubiously, as her eyes widened at the sight of the blonde. Suddenly taken aback from the entrance of the model, (though they were technically friends) Kuroko was pushed to the side. That's when she realized – she was separated from the others. Before she could trip on the piece of cloth that was on the floor, someone caught her by the shoulders as Kise's lean figure vanished from her eyes.

"Hey, watch your step." A gruff voice warned, though their hands still on her shoulder firmly. Kuroko stood up and thanked the stranger – only to notice that he wasn't a stranger at all. The male in front of her looked just as startled. "Tetsuya?"

"…Haizaki-kun?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Everything will escalate very quickly time-wise in this chapter. You might ask why is everything so fast? Why not go into more details? That is because; the first year of the Generation of Miracles and Kuroko is more like a very long introduction of this story. Therefore somewhere around the next chapter would be a transition of them moving into their second year, and that's where the actual story will begin.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 6**

" _Every meeting, every conversation, every eye contact – nothing was a mere coincidence, but fate."_

"…Haizaki-kun?"

Haizaki Shogo was having one of the most unreasonable moments of his life. Firstly, how cliché is it to just happen to meet the only female member of his basketball club in a mall? Not to mention, when he was catching her when she was about to fall, too. Secondly, he was holding a plastic bag filled with gravure magazines that happened to be on sale. Thirdly, he was wearing a shirt that said "I Love My Little Pony" with Rainbow Dash across the words.

Wow. Life was great.

Luckily, Kuroko seemed to care little about what his shirt said, or what he was holding. "Why are you here?" Haizaki asked, not delighted in the slightest that he had to meet her in the mall, out of all places.

"I came to look around with Aomine-kun and the others, but I lost track of them," she said glumly, fiddling with the strap of her purse. The gray-haired male tried to think of something suitable to say. He kind of sucked at talking to ordinary girls out of school, (though he loved lying about his age and playing around with hot high school chicks) especially to girls like Kuroko.

Getting pushed by someone walking by, Haizaki cursed under his breath and grabbed Kuroko by her wrist. A feeling of déjà vu swept over the female as the male forced them through the crowd to somewhere more unoccupied. He then let go and faced her again. "So," Reaching for the popsicle he bought earlier, he opened the wrapper and threw it in the nearest rubbish bin. "Basically, you don't know where to go." Kuroko nodded.

"Don't you have your phone?" Haizaki reminded, as the girl picked up her phone and opened it. The screen was pitch black, as a battery sign flashed in front of her eyes, blinking red. "Well, do you at least know where you guys were going to go? A coffee shop? Maybe a restaurant nearby?"

"We were just looking for a more deserted area." Kuroko responded, grateful that the gray-haired male was at least trying to help her out. "I am pretty sure the last time I was with them was right next to that jewelry shop…" Scanning the large and massively populated hall, the girl struggled to point out the exact location. "Over there."

Raising his chin a little to get a better look, Haizaki just rubbed his head and sighed. He bit off a portion of his popsicle, the sweet flavor spreading over his taste buds. It would've been quite an enjoyable experience if it weren't for this problem he was facing at the moment. "Let's start from there, then. Were there any particular plans that you guys had _after_ going to that deserted wherever?" Kuroko tried to fumble through her memories, almost remembering.

"I do recall Momoi-san saying something about visiting a new ice cream shop that seemed to be a hit among the teenagers." It was vague, but it was something. Haizaki hummed and led her to the nearest map of the mall. He pointed his finger at the screen and slowly looked around, and clucked his tongue.

"Not really interested in damned ice cream shops. Tons of them are around here, too. We'll just have to go to each one, unless they change their plans and decide to find you. In which they probably would – so it might just be better to stay in one place. But looking around the mall is nice too." Not certain what to suggest, Haizaki blurted out some nonsense.

The teal-haired girl seemed conflicted on what to do. She never really got lost in such a place before – and with Haizaki, out of all people, sticking around with her. "I think we can just look around." Too late she realized she had casually used 'we', Kuroko quickly changed her sentence. "I will look around, I mean."

"It's fine." To her surprise, a friendly grunt was heard. "Not like I have anything to do when I get home." And it was true. All the boy received when he returned to his room was nagging from his mom, and then his brother asking if he purchased the gravure magazine he wanted. Spending time with Kuroko was definitely better than staying home like that.

They started out with going up to the second floor. The shopping mall was so enormous, that they simply had no alternative but to begin searching at very random areas. A great variety of people could be spotted as Kuroko took some time to glance around admirably. Bloggers that had come to take pictures of the hottest clothes or items, groups of female middle schoolers were giggling over some new album, and some sweating businessmen that looked vexed by the crowd; they could all be spotted. She had never really invested her time in attempting to study different people.

"They don't seem to be around here." Haizaki decided that they were making no progress once the two were finished with the second floor. He stopped a passerby and questioned: "Excuse me, but have you seen a bunch of rainbow-haired guys somewhere?" Kuroko was rather shocked that the male could be polite when it was necessary. The passerby seemed humored by his description, but soon a memory seemed to surface.

"Yes, I remember very clearly, as a matter of fact. They appeared to be very anxious and nervous about something, though I am not sure what – I saw them around the café near the garden outside." Kuroko murmured her thanks before Haizaki could pull her through. The person was evidently startled by the sudden voice, but nodded anyway.

The male briskly made his way to the garden, as the automatic doors opened at a painfully slow rate. He saw a bunch of middle school girls squealing about something, and could already tell what had happened before they arrived. "Too late." Releasing her wrist, the male let out a heavy sigh. Kuroko was disappointed, but never showed it. "You know, looking around like this is actually pointless." Haizaki finally said. "Do you have a specific time when you need to get back home?"

"Oh," The female shook her head. "Not at all."

"Then why not just chill a little? They might be finding you, and it'd be just a never-ending cycle at this rate. And besides, I'm kinda of tired of looking around while holding this shit." He held up the plastic bag with the heavy magazine in it. It was for his brother (and himself, if he could ever get the chance of laying his hands on them) and apparently nicely coated gravure magazines could actually weigh a lot when held for long.

Wondering what had gotten into the male, Kuroko reluctantly agreed. "Sounds quite complacent and reasonable. I'm sorry to trouble you like this."

"At least you know it."

Haizaki didn't utter a single word about how he as the one who volunteered to help her, as they walked alongside each other.

 _ **~TLTS~**_

Meanwhile, the said rainbow-haired bunch was suffering.

"I can't believe we actually lost her."

"No, it is actually a very reasonable and a very much possible situation that we just never thought to consider."

"Same difference."

Aomine and Midorima were arguing on how sentences could be formatted along with the definitions of words. Akashi was trying to remember where they could've lost sight of her – and really, it was anywhere. Every one of them were expecting Kuroko to be following them nice and well – until Murasakibara finally pointed out that he really couldn't see her.

"How could we have not noticed that she was gone? I hate myself for it." Momoi ran a few fingers through her hair in regret. "And to think that none of us would figure that out until we were halfway here."

"Well, she was always quite invisible, after all. She might be doing well with someone to help her." Aomine shrugged, "It's Tetsu – I think she would've already figured some way out."

Giving him a reprimanding glance, Midorima cleared his throat. "You see, Aomine, just because she is 'quite invisible' still doesn't justify the reason of why we couldn't keep track of her. It is partially our responsibility for not noticing that she had vanished. Also, it is both likely that she is with someone or that she is not, because she would've called us if she could. Which, means that she is nowhere near 'finding her way out', but is actually just simply lost."

"Good job, you outsmarted me." The indigo-haired male rolled his eyes. "But really, where could she possibly be? We looked around the whole second floor and saw no one. Do you think she could've went down to the first floor again?"

"She's not even picking up her phone."

"Probably on silent or no battery."

A heavy sigh echoed simultaneously throughout the small vicinity where the group was standing pathetically. "So…" Momoi began, "I do imagine that Kuroko-chan can't be staying still in one corner of where we lost her. She's presumably searching for us too. But since we are all moving at the same time, the probability of us always going past each other is high."

"Are there any other solutions we can take part to?" Aomine questioned, his eyes crossed. "I don't like having to continue searching like this when there's something else we can do."

Akashi shook his head. "We could always request to make an announcement, but even I think that is when we have to reach for drastic measures –"

The redhead was forced to stop halfway when he bumped his shoulder into another person. A male with sunglasses and a mask (clearly suspicious) gave a muffled apology. "Sorry, I'm just really –" then he paused and stared at Akashi. "Wait, hello." He pulled the mask down to beneath his chin and greeted him. It was Kise Ryouta.

"Oh, you're…" The point guard mumbled, recognizing the blonde. "Kise…Ryouta, was it? What's with the disguise?"

Putting the mask back on, the blonde laughed. "I was supposed to be here for a fashion show, but then they cancelled it because one of our main models couldn't arrive. Funny, isn't it? But apparently no one could replace her so we just went on with it. And then I was surrounded by a swarm of fans, so I was just avoiding them."

Midorima thought it was a pretty clumsy disguise, but never voiced his opinion aloud. Kise, deciding that it would be better to be in a quieter place, signaled for them to the side of the shop they were standing next to. "So, what's your reason for wandering around here? It's not exactly a smart idea to just stand here, with this place being the crowded and humongous mall that it is."

"We're actually looking for someone." Midorima cleared his throat. "Her name is Kuroko Tetsuya. We lost her around here."

Kise seemed startled. "Kurokocchi? She's here?"

"You know each other?" Aomine frowned, though it was a rather expected response. He had already known that Kise and Kuroko had some odd sort of connection. He didn't know how he knew, though.

Looking delighted, the model replied, "Of course I know her – we're great friends! She usually visits where I work after her club is done – oh, so you guys must be her club…uh, club mates? Should've known that. But you've lost her? That's quite disastrous, especially at a gigantic mall like this…" Chattering off for a while, the blonde finally arrived at the main point.

"Did you happen to see her anywhere?" Momoi asked, and Kise went through his memories.

"No, I don't recall…I was too busy trying to deal with the fans and all, see. And Kurokocchi herself has very low presence, so even if I did go past her I might've not recognized her."

Midorima nodded – it was an understatement. Kuroko could've been wandering right in front of their eyes and they wouldn't have noticed her. However, being the colorful bunch, it was quite difficult to miss the group themselves – surely Kuroko would've noticed them if they ever passed by.

"We can always ask the mall staff." Kise suggested, "I have some connections with the manager. Maybe we can ask him if access to the security cameras are available?"

Momentarily, the group had forgotten that the blonde in front of them was a model, and therefore was socially connected with people because of his job and status. Surely, it was pretty handy at times like this. They followed Kise's lead, up the emergency staircase and into the VIP hallway where there was close to nobody at all.

"Akihiko-san?" Kise called out. "Are you in there?" He opened the door to the staff room – the manager's office. A man named Akihiko stood up from his place and grinned.

"Ah, Kise! What's the problem here now? Rare for you to visit me." Then he turned to face the teenagers behind him. "That's quite a bunch you are with. Models?"

The blonde laughed. "No. They're looking for someone, and is wondering if they can look at the security cameras."

Akihiko frowned. "Why not use something excellent called an announcement?"

"Oh, come on – it's pretty cool to use your personal screen." Kise begged, as the man just shrugged. He stuck his cigarette into his mouth and swirled around his chair, turning on the screen and projector as the many cameras were displayed. The boys scanned the screen, along with Momoi tried to locate the female.

"Is that Haizaki?" Aomine scowled, as he pointed at the gray haired male. "Wait, Tetsu is with him." The others leaned in to get a closer look. "They're near that coffee shop we just passed." Murasakibara opened the door and walked out, probably not thinking much and going to find them. No one stopped the male, as they continued to ponder on why the teal-haired female was hanging around the abrasive basketball player.

Akihiko shrugged and turned off the screen. "Not good to use this thing too much. Your tall friend already set out. Going with him or not?" The bunch glanced at one another and simply thanked the elder male and briskly headed out. The VIP hallway that Kise could use proved to be extremely helpful, as they had access to shortcuts to different floors and shops.

Murasakibara was conversing with Haizaki and Kuroko when they had arrived. As usual, the purple head contained a placid expression – seemingly unbothered of why the gray-haired male was present, or even why Kuroko was with him at all. Akashi was the first one to speak up. "Kuroko?"

The female was swept with relief to meet her group of friends again. Haizaki looked pretty displeased, but just went along with it. Wearing an 'I Love My Little Pony' shirt wasn't exactly helping him with the encounter, but Haizaki could deal with it. The redhead just continued. "We're glad you're okay, but…" He gave Haizaki a questioning look, but didn't say anything else.

"What?" Haizaki grunted. "She was lost, so I tagged along with her. Take care of your companions a little more, if you don't like her hanging around with me that much." He pushed the female towards them aggressively, his actions rather unreasonably abrasive.

A string of high tension in the air, the group just stared at Haizaki for a while as Kuroko tried to interpret the situation while looking back and forth. The female wasn't slow or imperceptive – she first put her hand on Akashi's arm, and smiled when the redhead turned to look at her. "Let's go home now. It's getting late."

Kise then whined quietly in the corner. "Kurokocchi, talk to me a little more, will you? Did you even notice me?"

The girl blinked. "Oh, hi."

"…" Kise turned away in silence. "I am ignored aren't I…I'm being ignored…"

Haizaki rolled his eyes. "I'm leaving. Have _fun_." Hissing the last word, the male picked up his plastic bag of magazines and departed the mall.

"Well, then. Let's go back too."

 _ **~TLTS~**_

It was about the end through summer break. While everyone was doing their homework, projects, and preparing for short vacations to the beach…

"SHIBUKI, WERE YOU THE ONE THAT TOLD ON TO MOM?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"SOJI –"

"I wasn't here the whole day yesterday. Couldn't have been me."

"MIYUKI, I TRUSTED YOU –"

A loud shriek echoed throughout the house. "I'm late, late, late, fucking late – Atsushi, put the pan on the stove and cook those, 'kay? And no, why the heck would I tell on mom about your one-night stands? Seriously, I can't believe that you're…" _Slam!_ Before she could even finish her sentence, Miyuki closed the door and rushed out to see her boyfriend.

"I'm _what_? Then Atsushi, it must be _you_ , right?" His index finger pointed at the tall purple head that just stared back blankly.

"I –"

"I was certain it would be you. You're mother's pet – well, no Shibuki is. But still, since you gave me all that hard time, you take over my morning and afternoon chores for the rest of the week. Geez, I couldn't go to my usual club just because of cleaning off the cake icing stained on that stupid sink. Oh, and don't forget the breakfast and all the dinner meals you need to prepare. Well, I'm leaving to meet Miwa. She's been nagging me yesterday about our unfinished session so…" He rambled on, tightening the end of his tie as he casually left the house.

Shibuki munched on some chips. "Atsushi, go get some more." Sticking out the crumb-filled bowl to Murasakibara's face, the guy didn't look away from the screen of his laptop. Casually grabbing the white and sticky bowl from his brother, Murasakibara refilled it with chips – onion and sour cream flavor. As he set it on the desk, the latter sat down.

"Another essay?"

"Nah, just a video game." Tapping on his keyboard madly, the brother grunted. Murasakibara sucked up a sharp breath and massaged his temples. Soji was whistling as he slumped down on his separate indigo couch as he watched a Korean drama.

Flipping the tap upward, Murasakibara washed the platters and pots that were lying around the sink in a giant pile. No one cleaned it up unless he did. Nobody even took care of the house, or bothered to simply sweep the floor at least once. It was always Murasakibara's job to do such tedious chores, ever since he was young.

That's right, Murasakibara Atsushi that had nothing to do did everything.

Murasakibara Toshi, the first and oldest was the messy old troublemaker – but a math and science prodigy. His aimed profession was to become an industrial engineer, and he was planning to get his Master's degree abroad, after graduating Tokyo University that he was currently attending. He had a wonderful and bright future ahead of him, and had nothing to worry, even after their parents finding out about his constant one-night stands.

Then there was Murasakibara Soji and Shibuki, aiming to be entertainers just like their parents. It was a simple task just to be acknowledged by the companies, very simply because of the fact that they were from the Murasakibara household – the family that worked as singers, entertainers, or actors for generations.

Murasakibara Miyuki was good at singing, and was planning to become an idol. She was pretty popular among her classmates and at school, and had self-confidence in what she wanted to become – and was even offered a job at a famous agency.

 _Then what about me?_ He thought, turning the tap off. He took a moment to stare at the carefree siblings he had, and just stretched his arms and went up to his room. _Oh right, the pan…_ He looked back at the kitchen, and then noticed how quiet the house was. Momentarily pausing on the narrow steps to turn back, Murasakibara blinked very leisurely, that to others it might have looked like they were watching a clip in slow motion. _Was the house always this quiet?_

Then noticing how he unconsciously worded his thoughts, the purple head sighed. "I don't call it 'our' house, do I… Oh well."

Just like that, summer was ending.

* * *

"The Generation of Miracles."

A few months later, this title started to float around the sports industry. The Generation of Miracles – the basketball prodigies that all played for Teiko Junior High, the most perfect lineup ever to be made in middle school basketball history. However, there was also a rumor about the phantom sixth man, the player that was rarely mentioned, but one that had also accompanied the news of the Generation of Miracles.

' _The Generation of Miracles are continuing to present their inhuman strength at national tournaments and their previous Inter High matches. There is simply no rival school that can stand against them – truly, they can be called the players close to perfect in Teiko Junior High at the moment.'_ The article read. Beneath featured five players – Akashi Seijuro, Midorima Shintaro, Aomine Daiki, Murasakibara Atsushi, and Haizaki Shogo. **(A/N: Albeit replaced by Kise later on, Haizaki was also considered one of the GoM once.)**

"Funny how they never mention Kuroko." Midorima commented, closing the magazine in his hand. He usually only purchased magazines for the reason of the extra horoscope sections at the very end, but he could only be attracted to the useless sports magazine because of the fact that there was his photo stuck right in front. The shop owner seemed bewildered, recognizing his face, but didn't say anything.

Biting a piece of the popsicle off, Aomine grumbled. "Tetsu doesn't really have any presence – or none at all, to be honest. It's no wonder she is rarely mentioned. And besides, it's not like she plays in every single match like we do."

"Kind of bothers me to have Haizaki on the lineup as well, but it was the captain's decision so it can't be helped, I suppose." Akashi mumbled disparagingly. He had never approved the arrival of Haizaki in first string, much less bring grouped under the flamboyant title with him. Kuroko didn't really seem to mind whatever she was called – she wouldn't have batted an eyebrow even if she was called the Black Senseless Passer, or if she was never mentioned at all. She was perfectly fine with the phantom sixth man.

"Well, I am sorry that you don't like me."

The gray-haired male came along, dribbling a basketball from the corner. He was chewing on a piece of pink bubblegum, blowing a large bubble that eventually popped on his face. "But really, I didn't want to be grouped on the same prodigy level as you guys." He said bitterly. "I'm not a prodigy, nor a genius. Just a fucking player that can steal moves…" He stepped in front of Akashi and leaned down to meet him eye-to-eye. "…Isn't that what you think, Mr. Point Guard?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Lifting his chin up in the very slightest, Akashi smirked. "I was simply trying to make a point that there could possibly better players out there. Better than you, that is."

"Better than me? You make me laugh." Haizaki's voice was triumphant. "I am irreplaceable, Akashi. I am a vital part for this system to work. Don't you get it? You guys don't see the problems that will occur if I leave this team. The labyrinth that will fold upon you guys will be harsh, and filled with thorns and spikes. I am _essential_ for this lineup to function."

Murasakibara swept his bangs backward, and then glanced at Haizaki, all the while drawling out a,"That's not true." The gray-haired male frowned at the purple head. "Nothing is irreplaceable, Zaki-chin. It's a matter of whether you think you need a replacement or not. People can always be replaced, even more often that a part of a machine."

"What makes you say that?" Haizaki grunted. "I am fully aware of what will happen if I leave. You guys don't understand what Nijimura said a few months ago, do you?" The other four members of the Generation of Miracles scowled at him. Haizaki took a step forward in a belligerent manner. "To protect that girl. To stay by her side. It's because one day, you'll all abandon her."

"No, we won't." Aomine said firmly. "And you aren't necessary here."

Haizaki shrugged. "You'll see what I mean. Whether I am right or wrong, we can see then."

This was the beginning of the silent bet of the Generation of Miracles and Haizaki Shogo – a bet about who will remain at Kuroko Tetsuya's side until the very end.

"Because, I like her too."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Just a short FAQ section about this story before I start.**

 **Is there a fixed pairing for this story?**

 **Yes. I have absolutely no intentions to change the decided pairing – it is final, and the plot is already concluded.**

 **Are you planning for a second book about their high school lives?**

 **Yes.**

… **Those were two questions that seemed to be in every single review for every chapter, so I'm just answering them before people start raging.**

 **Also, thank you for the 100+ favorites and 150+ followers.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

" _If I was a monster, will you love me the same? If I was a ghost, can you still love me the same? If I wasn't who you expected to be, is this going to end?"_

Spring.

That's right – time had passed, the seasons have changed, and now it was back to spring.

Kise Ryouta personally hated spring – the season of new life. It was also spring, when all the tragedies began. When everyone was enjoying themselves, celebrating the fact that a new year had started, the blonde was just there, worrying over the amount of money he had to pay back for the month.

Well, it was true that his modeling fees had increased. He didn't need to work part-time again like his freshmen year, or to work full-time during weekends. He was free for a while, and he hoped it would remain that way.

"Shogi club!"

"Baseball club is back with new facilities to present to you!"

It was that time of the year, where it was rowdy and noisy everywhere. Clubs were all in morning practice, and members took turns giving out flyers. It was that time of the year where for once, all the first to third string players would come together to form a large group of nothing, where they simply got no work done and left everything to Nijimura and the vice captain.

"There anyone that looks talented this year?" The vice captain, Fukuba **(A/N: I do not know whether this was the real name of the vice captain before Akashi was chosen.),** asked, leaning in to peer at the papers. "I'm leaving after today, so I just. You know. Wanted to look at the new stars that enter for the last time."

Kise glanced over as he heard overheard the conversation between two upperclassmen. He had an empty application form. He could apply for any club he wished to be in. For once, he had his freedom – and he wanted to make good use of it. _Sports are boring, though._ Being skilled at every single type of sport, the blonde had never found any physically straining activity entertaining. _I guess I should think about it a little –_

"Aomine, pass the ball!"

 _Aomine?_ He turned back. There was a tanned male, laughing in pure joy as he dribbled the ball and swiftly dunked it through the hoop. His graceful form, joyous grin, and satisfying expression all together created spark of flame in Kise's heart. He gulped in anticipation. His pulse sped up in excitement, and the blonde clutched the form tighter, slightly crumpling it in his hand. _I guess it might be worth a try._ As if lured by the glowing aura of the latter, Kise moved toward the court, past Nijimura and Fukuba.

He stared at the pass-plays between the Generation of Miracles that seemed to be near-perfection. Aomine was at the center of everything, obviously playing the most crucial part of the team – the ace. But there seemed to be something rather odd and peculiar about the whole game. A connection existed – the invisible glue that stuck all the moves together.

Just when Kise was about to find out the truth behind the mystery, a hand wrapped around his shoulder, "Hey." Kise jumped and freaked out, his attention immediately concentrated on the person who had interrupted his moment. It was Nijimura, the captain of the club. "Are you going to join or something? Or just looking around?"

"Oh," The blonde laughed nervously, "I'm joining. Uh… Do you have a pen?"

Nijimura pointed at the desks. "Forms go over there. Should be a pen there, too."

The model nodded, and headed to where the captain had pointed. He really had no interest in clubs. Yet, there he was, signing up for one – a basketball club, too. Placing the paper on the thick stack, the blonde left the court silently, as if he wasn't there.

* * *

"Hey, Tetsu." Aomine called out to the girl, who turned around. Her hair had grown quite a lot throughout the year – when she first joined she had shoulder-length teal hair, and now it went all the way to a little above her mid-back. "Did you hear that Kise joined the team?" The girl's eyes widened in slight surprise, then returned to its normal size.

"No, I haven't."

"Well, apparently he has. Pretty late to join a club to be honest, but at the same time, I guess nothing's too late. I hope he moves up to first string, eh?" Kuroko nodded in agreement, as she passed a ball that flew in her direction toward Akashi, who casually threw it into the nearest hoop. "I'm actually really excited for his arrival, y'know? If he's good, that means I finally have someone that I can fight with all my will."

Coach Shigehiro clucked his tongue and grasped the boy's shoulder. "Don't be so full of yourself, now. There's always someone better than you, Aomine." He spoke in a reprimanding manner, and the indigo-haired male grunted.

"Yeah, there are – just that they are all on the same team." The male looked up at his Generation of Miracle members and rolled his eyes. The coach shook his head, and put both of his hands behind his back and cleared his throat.

"I'm not only talking about Teiko, or our opposing schools. I am talking about this world, Aomine. This world is gigantic - though, also as small it seems at the same time. There is always someone above you, and someone beneath you in terms of abilities. That is why it is way too early for you to boast about like you are the best, Aomine." He paused. "You're just like a frog dwelling in its own well. You need to see how great people outside can be."

Both Kuroko and Aomine didn't say anything at that. The coach walked away to inspect other members on the court, and the two just stared at each other for a while. It was then, when they decided to continue practicing in silence. The words echoed in each of their hearts and minds in different ways, leaving a different memory and lesson for their respective futures.

After practice ended, all of the first to third string met at the same court again. Kuroko could see Kise in the line for second string, standing out the most out of all – not because he was a model, but his aura was just naturally attractive and was an ideal attention-gatherer. Her eyes locked on the talkative blonde for a while, until the captain tapped on the microphone.

"Microphone check… Oh, good. Well, we have some news to deliver today. Our senior and vice captain, Fukuba Jirou is leaving the team and moving to Okinawa. Therefore we will have to choose a new vice captain for the team, who will eventually be the next captain when I leave Teiko. Today we are here to choose as a group, from first string to third, to decide the future of this team. I will have no part in this, and the coach will approve or disapprove of your final decision. I do not care how this is done, whether you guys decide to nominate someone, or volunteer. We just need to get it done by today."

The court instantly grew noisy. Haizaki just chewed on his piece of bubblegum, already dressed in his school uniform. The Generation of Miracles all didn't really seem to care – although, being second years, they didn't really like interfere with any of the backside business of the team, except for Akashi who liked to meddle with all the schedules.

"Won't Akashi be a good vice-captaim?" A voice shouted from behind. Nobody knew whom, but it created a great uproar within the members. The red head seemed startled, not expecting for anyone to nominate him.

"Yeah, if it's Akashi…"

"Akashi? I guess it's better than anyone else in first string right now…"

"I would think Midorima's pretty suitable, too."

"Midorima? Nah, he's better off becoming the next vice captain when Akashi becomes captain."

Everyone's opinions started centering around Akashi, until it seemed to be final. Nijimura picked up the microphone and glanced over cautiously at the coach. Coach Shigehiro presented a warm smile at the point guard. Akashi twitched with discomfort – he didn't exactly want to be a vice captain, or the next captain to lead such a giant team.

"So, are there any other names apart from Akashi Seijuro?" The coach made the last call, and nobody said a single word. "Then Akashi it is. Akashi, please come up here. You should at least introduce yourself to the newbies." Coach Shigehiro handed the microphone to the red head that awkwardly walked up to the stage; though it was simply just an elevated wooden floor, he could feel the pressure and intensity of Teiko as a whole group.

Opening his mouth slowly, Akashi started. "My name is Akashi Seijuro. I will try my best to serve as Teiko's vice captain, being Fukuba-san's replacement." A round of applause went off for about ten seconds, as Akashi remained onstage. Everything all seemed foreign to the red head. He believed that he wasn't exactly suited for such a position. A position of authority was something he'd always not wanted to place himself in. Authority tainted people.

"Well, sounds like you'll get busy, _vice captain_." Aomine snickered on their way home. Akashi had decided not to take his car back, just to drag time on. He nudged Aomine's sides, as the latter released a pained groan. "I actually think I'll enjoy you being vice captain, though. I mean, what's the bad in it? You get to order around the seniors, too!"

Akashi heaved a sigh. "That's not the reason why I accepted the position, Aomine."

"Aka-chin will do well. I think there isn't anyone here apart from you that can fill in the place of our previous vice captain." Murasakibara said encouragingly as possible – though, his voice was still monotone. A certain shooting guard seemed to agree for once, as he fixed the placement of his spectacles.

"If you say so, Murasakibara." The freshly appointed vice captain shrugged, as it was rare that the purple head left such commentary. The placidity of the giant often gave comfort to the tense Akashi – perhaps that's why they were so close, though not possessing much of a developed friendship.

Kuroko brought up another topic into the conversation. "You'll have a pile of work to do from here on out, Akashi-kun. There's the upcoming training camp for juniors and seniors, and preparations for the Inter High tournaments and nationals. Data collecting for matches will be essential, and –"

"Now, now, don't put too much on his shoulders when his job hasn't even officially begun yet." Aomine chuckled, curling his arm around the female's shoulders. The contact of skin was so natural, so _ordinary_ , that the two didn't notice how unusual it looked. To others it would've seemed like a friendly action – to the Generation of Miracles, it was a new realization. Seeing the two ignited slight jealousy in Akashi's heart – an unknown sensation to the male. He never got a chance to have a friendly conversation often with Kuroko during the past year. Yet Aomine was doing it so easily, in public, too.

The nuance disturbed Akashi.

"Akashi?" Midorima called his name. "Is something the matter?"

Awaken from his trance, Akashi shook his head. "No." Then he noticed the Akashi residence's gate standing right next to him, proud and shining from renown and success. _Only if success did so much_ , Akashi thought. He waved to his teammates and stepped inside, instantly greeted by maids and butlers that were rummaging through cabinets and shelves to clean up.

"Welcome back, young master." One of the butlers smiled, and Akashi gave him a curt nod. Taking off his school jacket and handing it to one of the maids, the redhead turned around to proceed into asking questions.

"Did father ask for my assistance or presence in his office?"

The usual inquiry that the trained workers were required to answer didn't surprise the butler in front of him. "No, young master. I believe he only told me to pass on a message relating to your most recent grade reports. It turns out that you have lost about half a point from a perfect average – 99.8, if I recall. He said quite viciously that you should work on your studies instead of your club activities." The butler winced painfully, as the average was already quite perfect to an ordinary person's standards.

However, Akashi simply nodded. "I understand. Thank you for passing on the message."

"My greatest honor, young master."

The redhead entered his large room, and sat down on his leather couch with the least amount of enthusiasm. Grades – it was that again. The Asian stereotype, it was. "What an exhausting day…to be chosen vice captain in this situation is quite devastating." Having basketball club work, as well as having to take care of school education was quite the task.

To be extremely honest, Akashi was uninterested in the sport. He didn't find joy in participating – he himself had not the slightest idea of why he bothered to continue. As soon as he attended to this thought, the unwavering image of Kuroko appeared from the back of his mind. He gritted his teeth – not out of frustration towards the female, but the simple feeling that managed to destroy him – it agitated Akashi. Squeezing his fists as he clenched them tight, the male breathed in the heavy air of his residence.

 _Forget it._

 _ **~TLTS~**_

"You are mad." An empty voice whispered in the dark. "Worse than an insane man." Aomine thrashed his arm above his head and released a heavy sigh. He was keeping the lights off in his room, the curtains closed. His eyes glowed in the pitch-blackness, as he closed them and proceeded to think about what happened during the summer – it all seemed like such a distant yet close memory.

" _Because I like her too."_

"… _What?"_

" _I like Kuroko Tetsuya. I am going to be at her side until the very end."_

Haizaki had made himself very clear that he felt great affection towards the female. It angered Aomine. It made him jealous. Kuroko wasn't his – the final decision will always be hers to make. But even so, Aomine wanted her – she was an essential life source to him. Without her, Aomine couldn't stand a day. He didn't care if people called him clingy or overly attached – she was his light, his hope.

Over the past year, Aomine's feelings grew firm and a new resolve formed from the bottom of his heart. He wished he had enough courage to ask the female out, even if she refused him. He didn't expect in the slightest bit that she was going to accept his confession, more or less say anything about it.

"I hate myself." Mumbling in regret, Aomine tossed and turned in his bed. He looked to the side and saw a photo that was faced down on his shelf. It had been like that for a few good years, as the male couldn't bring himself to put it upright again. The wooden support flung upward in midair, waiting for someone to fix its position. Inside there was a family picture – him, his mom, and his dad.

There was a time when the Aomine household was noisy. There was a time where someone was always waiting for his arrival in the living room, when he returned from school. There was a time when there was a man who would proudly tell about his tales of youth and sport.

There was a time when Aomine Eiichiro was alive.

His dad had always been his role model. He was a former member of the national team in Japan, and was always known as the legendary power forward. Even after he had retired, his popularity was evident in the media and magazines. As a result, his father worked as a coach for the national team after he quit playing. He would always tell Aomine that it was his dream to see Aomine play basketball, just like he did. But the man never forced the sports career on Aomine. He let the boy do what he wished.

Perhaps, that was the main reason why Aomine regretted learning basketball at all. He despised his talent, his ability. He had raised useless hopes in his father's heart, when he wasn't even able to see Aomine win a single tournament anymore – especially when he was now in Teiko, the ultimate basketball school. If he weren't good at the sport at all, his father wouldn't have thought much.

It was all an accident. The driver was drunk, stepped on the brakes too late, and his father just so happened to be crossing the road. It was ridiculous. The cause of death was so cliché that it all seemed preposterous – but again, when someone dies, the cause doesn't really matter anymore.

* * *

"I should sleep…"

"Midorima Shintaro."

"Present."

"Madoka Junpei."

"'Ere."

Kuroko Tetsuya stared at Teiko Junior High that was outside the window. They were taking an attendance before leaving to their one-week training camp. She had heard all about Teiko's hellishcamps, and how they trained all night at times, if the coach thought the members were being indolent. She was sitting next to someone she didn't know, the reason being that they were sitting in alphabetical order.

"Well then, that's everyone. We'll go now!" Nijimura shouted, as he sat on the front row. The coach, captain, and vice captain were all required to sit at the front of the bus. Kuroko caught a glimpse of the red hair, and looked away quickly as Akashi turned to face the back.

The camp was pretty far from where they were – it was all the way at Hakone. Hakone was a good place to train, because all the mountain trek courses as well as the large fields that remained unoccupied. _This is pretty boring…_ She yawned, and leaned on the window. The bus was shaky, but it didn't really matter. The senior next to her seemed pretty worried about her head, though – he handed her his comforter. Kuroko thanked him and used it all the way there.

When the bus came to a stop, it was already two hours past noon. The seniors lined up behind the juniors, and Nijimura and Akashi stood in front of the whole group as they prepared to give instructions. It was a large group, since all the third to first string members were present.

"You guys will all have thirty minutes to unpack your things and return to this exact spot. If you get lost, too bad. The keys are at the counter, so pick them up. We'll have afternoon training, and then dinner. Go!"

Kuroko went to the counter and got her own keys. As the female managers all had their own friends to sleep with, she had the room all to herself. She was pretty happy about that – a king sized bed at a hotel, with only her using it – she thought that was a pretty good deal for a lot of training.

When she looked at the clock after changing, there was still twenty minutes left. Just when she was thinking about resting alone, the doorbell rang, and Kuroko sighed. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Aomine."

The female's heart jumped a beat. Suddenly she was aware of how messy her hair was, how clumsy she looked in a white sweatshirt that was a tad bit too big for her, and old shorts that were now worn out. She thought of changing all over again, maybe to something more decent, but it was already too late. Since the door was unlocked, the male opened it and entered. "Hey. Did I bother you?"

"No, not at all." She said coolly, trying to act natural as possible. "What brings you here?" The male flopped down on her bed and let out a relieved groan, digging further into the futon and cushions.

"My room is so boring, you see." He drawled, "We did choose our roommates, but still. Having Midorima, Murasakibara, and Akashi in your room is just… I don't know, torturous. Murasakibara was being nice, though. He never shouts at me for not cleaning up my stuff on the floor or anything. But it's still boring. I can't sleep."

Kuroko chuckled at the tale. "We need to go in fifteen minutes, you know?"

Aomine turned on the bed. "Yeah, I do. Wake me up then." Before anyone could stop him, the male was fast asleep on the her bed. The teal-haired girl just smiled, sitting next to the male as she stared at him. It was an odd sensation, how they were so used to each other, even though it had just been a mere year since they had been acquainted. She indeed felt more closer to Aomine than any of the other Miracles.

But then, she was considerably close to Akashi as well; they had been talking a lot nowadays, about Sherlock Holmes mystery novels. Midorima was in her class again for the year, and Murasakibara was always going around helping her shoot balls.

And then there was Haizaki.

Kuroko wasn't certain whether she hated the male or simply wasn't on good terms with him. At first when she entered the team, her feelings were as hard as rock towards the silver-haired athlete, but as time passed, she had came to realize that he could be likeable when he wanted to be. He was a troublemaker, but did no harm to other people. Well, maybe except Nijimura – he had a difficult time trying to control the latter.

While she was lost in her thoughts, they had five minutes left. Kuroko poked Aomine, and they both went down to the meeting place together. They didn't utter a single word, but both of them were aware of the fact that a conversation wasn't necessary. The comfortable silence only symbolized the harmony between them, and how they were perfectly fine with nothing going on – just walking together was okay.

Luckily, they weren't the last to arrive. Nijimura cleared his throat, as Akashi held a small portfolio that contained their schedule in his hands. "Well then, we'll start our summer camp." He looked around to see if all of them were paying attention. "For this camp, we changed up the program a little, grouped all of you into pairs with someone in your string. If you aren't with somebody you want, then that's unfortunate but suck it up."

Akashi continued. "Each pair is required to show unity and teamwork in all they do. If you fail to show cooperation between the two of you, then you will be disqualified for that session and will have to redo it later on in the day."

"Then, listen up for your pairs…"

Pairs of names were called, and all of them divided up.

And then finally…

"Kuroko Tetsuya, Haizaki Shogo."

Kuroko's eyes widened, as Haizaki just looked over and scowled in discomfort.

Aomine and Akashi simultaneously thought:

 _You have got to be kidding me._


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Please take note that I had to make something up about Kuroko in this chapter because I couldn't find anything about it anywhere. I'm sorry if you feel like it is cliché.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

" _I know you won't ever look in my direction, but I can't help but call your name over and over again, hoping you will turn back someday if my voice is loud enough."_

Haizaki Shogo felt downright terrible. He couldn't believe the only girl in the club – his crush, too – was chosen to be with the infamous troublemaker of the whole _school_. She looked rather startled as well, and the expressions plastered over the flamboyant haired males were pretty priceless, but Haizaki could care less.

"Nijimura, you have to be joking –"

"It's _captain_ , Haizaki." The male said venomously, as Haizaki gritted his teeth and spat on the ground. "The pairs were randomly chosen, so do not complain. In fact, I do not see the reason why _you_ should be having a problem with this decision, Haizaki." He was implying that Haizaki was a flirtatious guy, and therefore this pair was perfect for him. Haizaki thought otherwise.

Akashi simply looked down on the other names and continued calling the pairs in place of Nijimura who went to take care of the facility. He couldn't accept the fact that Kuroko was with Haizaki, out of everyone in the club possible. Heck, he would've been totally fine even if she were with some guy he had no clue about. But not Haizaki – he just couldn't stand the male.

"Mine-chin, you look pale." Murasakibara commented, "Is it because Kuro-chin is paired with Zaki-chin?" The said indigo-haired male bit the inner part of his cheek impatiently. "It really isn't something to fuss much about, is it? It's just for a few days or so." Aomine didn't say anything. Murasakibara was right – they were only going to be playing with each other during the camp week, and apart from that they weren't even going to talk or…

 _Damn it._ Aomine clenched his fists. _Fuck this all._

"Will you not look at me as if I did something wrong?" Haizaki tilted his head to the side, and spoke with arrogance. "It's not I wanted to be paired with her either." Midorima looked sideways, feeling the tingling tension between the males. He then walked off, sighing as he went to his partner who was waiting in the middle of the field.

"Good for you." Aomine grumbled, as Haizaki raised his eyebrows. Then smirking, he whispered in the ganguro's ear.

"You jealous?"

The male tightened his jaw and pushed Haizaki out of his way. Haizaki mused at the fuming latter, and then strolled over to Kuroko who was patiently waiting for him in the corner. He glanced at her once, and then put his hands in his pockets in an obdurate manner. _If they really hate me going near her I'll stay away, sheesh. It's not like I'm going to hurt her or anything._ Quickening his pace, Haizaki forced his way through the crowd. _Besides, what are they, her parents? Why are they all so uptight when it comes to her? It's not like they'll even stay by her side forever anyway._ He stopped and then turned back to see if Kuroko was there.

The teal-haired girl was struggling to catch up, trying to squeeze in between the other members. Haizaki rubbed his hair with his palm, and clucked his tongue as he walked back towards the female. "You're too slow, you idiot." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her outside, making way for them to walk. Kuroko blinked as she stared up at the male, but didn't say anything. "I can't believe you can't even walk properly," He complained.

"Haizaki-kun's just too fast." Kuroko retorted, as Haizaki let her go.

"Whatever."

* * *

Practice was hell.

Most of the activities weren't about the individual's ability, but about how much a pair could accomplish. This put the skilled ones at a disadvantage, and the less talented ones in an easier position. During running, if one person in the pair couldn't run further, then the other had to stop as well and wait. If one couldn't shoot, then the other couldn't leave until his partner was able to.

It was quite the predicament for the Generation of Miracles.

"I can't believe I had to stay back for an hour just because that guy couldn't make five three-pointers in a row." Midorima grunted. "I would've finished such an easy menu in less than five minutes."

"That's the whole point of this camp, though." Akashi remarked.

"Just because something is the point, doesn't mean that we have to comply to it." Aomine retorted, as Akashi shrugged. His duty as the vice captain was fulfilled – he cared less about anything else. "And besides, Tetsu deserves to be with someone better. Someone who can match up to her standards, someone who can… uh… you know… like… someone who is suitable."

Murasakibara snorted as he threw a plastic water bottle into the bin nearby. "You make it sound like she's marrying someone. Besides, Zaki-chin won't hurt her or anything. You normally don't do anything bad to someone you like." The giant opened a candy bar and pushed the whole thing into his mouth at once.

"Well…"Aomine said hesitantly, "I…" He scratched his head and spat on the ground. "I guess." The male didn't like Haizaki at all. To be honest, he never liked him from the start – but not that he liked Kuroko, he was not only a nuisance in his life, but a one he had to fear of taking Kuroko away. Of course, Kuroko wasn't his. She was far from his. But –

" _Aomine_." Midorima hissed, waking the male up from his trance. "What's keeping you at your personal Cloud Nine? Everyone's waiting for you to order something – don't keep people at hold like that. It's rude."

"Oh." Aomine looked behind, and quickly ordered the first thing he saw. Then he stepped out of the line, and walked over to the table where the rest of his team members were. Kuroko was there too – Aomine's heart skipped a few beats immediately when he saw her. "Hey, Tetsu." He sat down in a nonchalant manner, trying his best to hide his excitement. "How was practice?"

"It was… well, good." Her cherubic smile caused him to freeze for a millisecond. "Haizaki-kun was surprisingly… um, chivalrous. At least, to his standards. He helped me shoot, although I still couldn't get any in, and joined in when I was practicing my passes… he was considerably gentle. Still harmful with words, but his actions were a lot more kinder, I guess."

Midorima smirked playfully – a side of the green head that rarely ever appeared. "Did you hear that Aomine? She's doing _perfectly_ fine without you." He emphasized every single word, especially when he uttered 'perfectly'. The indigo-haired male tapped his plate his chopsticks, looking away and not saying anything. Kuroko seemed clueless to what was actually happening, but then turned to the side and glanced in Haizaki's direction. The male was sitting alone- well, no. He was with Nijimura, conversing about something. Kuroko stared for a while, until the latter looked up and stared back at her intently. She then looked away as the lady put a bowl of udon on her tray.

"What's going on after this, Aka-chin?" Murasakibara attempted to convert the topic elsewhere, as he bit into his tonkatsu. "Something about Teiko's traditional nonsense, right?"

"Now, don't put it like that Murasakibara. If it's a tradition, we have no choice but to follow it." Slowly chewing on the contents, Akashi spun his spoon on the plate. "'The Dark Room."

"Well, that's a creative name."

"It's not me who thought of the name." Akashi shrugged at Aomine's small commentary. Then he noticed how bewildered Kuroko looked, and took the initiative to provide an explanation. "It's not that much of a big deal as they say – not so haunting, either. The whole idea of the… let's say, activity, is to improve the teamwork between the pairs, albeit it's more like a simple game." After pausing for a while, the male continued. "Basically, there seems to be a deserted cabin right next to this place. It was apparently used by the inhabitants of this area just about… eighty years ago, but was abandoned due to a certain incident. I don't know what really happened myself. But anyway, you go to that cabin with your partner, every pair will be assigned a different room. Then you just find a pencil that will be lying on the floor and come back. Simple enough."

Aomine shivered in fear. "I honestly do not enjoy go around a haunted place where there are eerie rumors about every single thing –"

"That's exactly right, Aomine." Nijimura slumped down on the bench next to Murasakibara. "There actually is a very… well, gruesome story about one of the rooms back in that cabin. You have less than a two percent chance of actually being assigned to that room, but you know – someone gets it every year. Anyway, there was apparently an earthquake around this region, just eighty years ago. Everything was destroyed severely, but was soon repaired soon. Of course, everything – but that cabin."

"Wait, so we are venturing around a run down cabin?" Kuroko frowned in confusion, as she put her chopsticks back down.

"No, no. Of course we aren't doing that. There is more to the story. So you see, there was a little boy who was caught up in the earthquake while he was still in the cabin. He was still trapped deep inside, so it was really difficult to rescue him, from what I heard. The villagers were afraid that they'd be killed while trying to save the boy, because the earthquake wasn't completely gone, and there were continuous aftershocks. As a result, they ended up ignoring the boy completely and burned the old cabin and built up a new wooden one – of course, new for them at that time. It's eighty years ago, so it's pretty old."

"Is that it to the story?" Midorima fixed the position of his glasses. "Because then it lacks impact."

"Well, no. Why do you even think that cabin was abandoned, even after it was burnt and rebuilt? It's due to fact that people who stayed in that cabin started to die – especially when they were sleeping in one particular room. They didn't die when they were sleeping though – it was often because of something heavy falling on their head, or because they tripped… careless reasons, but the deaths went on anyway. In the end, they found out that the boy they didn't rescue was still buried beneath that room, and he was killing people who slept in that cabin due to his own vengeance."

Murasakibara rolled his eyes. "So it's a typical horror setting. That's not even scary."

Kuroko pursed her lips together, as they formed a tight line. She inhaled a raspy breath and grasped her right arm using her left hand. Akashi, who was sitting next to her, noticed how pale the female looked – well, more pale than usual. "Kuroko?" He instinctively placed his hand on her shoulder, concerned. "Are you alright? You look extremely pale right now."

Nijimura, quickly reacting to Akashi's remark, stood up and kneeled next to her. "Sorry, did I scare you? I never took you as the type to be crept out by these kinds of stories; I apologize. It's just a nasty rumor anyway, so forget it."

"No, I'm fine." She forced a smile. "It's just a little cold in here, that's all."

"… Is it?" Murasakibara glanced at the air conditioner. He then took off his gigantic sweater and handed it over to the female. "I guess the size won't do, but well. It'll be better than nothing, I suppose."

"Thank you." She clenched the hem of the jacket as she slipped her thin arms through the sleeves. The sweater was about twice the size of her torso, making it kind of look like a dress – or simply a daughter that wore her father's clothes to school. Nijimura sent her a wary expression, but then stood up as he called all the members over to the edge of the cafeteria.

"We'll be starting our next activity! All of you dawdling wrenches at the back get your ass here right now!"

* * *

"Room 34." Haizaki grumbled. "Hey, aren't you gonna come in?" He shouted at Kuroko, who was gazing at the wooden cabin from afar. She then blinked, awakened by Haizaki's call. Jogging over, she joined him by his side and said nothing. Haizaki furrowed his eyebrows, putting his hands in his pockets with haughty mannerisms. He thought about asking her what the matter was, but just remained silent. Worrying about her was evidently Aomine's job, not his.

They walked across the creaky corridor, going past several different rooms where previous pairs seemed to have visited. Haizaki and Kuroko kept their awkward, stranger-like distance between one another, both looking in opposite directions. The gray-haired boy felt no necessity of a conversation, and Kuroko's mind itself wasn't exactly firmly present either.

"It's over here, you idiot." A disgruntled look plastered all over his face, Haizaki grabbed Kuroko's shoulder before she could casually skip it. "What's going on in your freaking head? I thought you were the observant one here." He kicked the door open.

"I'm sorry." Kuroko muttered under her breath, as she sluggishly entered the room. The door closed behind her, and the girl stepped further inside. Haizaki lazily searched for the pencil that was supposed to be on the floor. The room was quite large – although nothing significant was in the room itself. He leaned down, taking a better look at the floorboards. Kuroko helped as well, peeking behind shelves and drawers.

The male then stretched his arm towards a glinting thin object that was under the bed. "Here it is." Turning back to the girl, Haizaki moved his chin and pointed at the door. "Let's go now." She nodded, and twisted the doorknob. Blinking in slight panic, she twisted in a quicker fashion – but with no avail.

"Um, Haizaki-kun, I think we are locked in."

"We are _what_ now?" Haizaki stomped towards the wooden door, handing the pencil over to Kuroko. The girl grasped on smooth and cold surface of the stationery, as the male banged frantically on the steel doorknob. "Oh my fucking lord." He sunk down on the floor, rubbing his hand violently on his forehead. "Oh, my, fucking, lord." He said again, as Kuroko gave a gentle kick on the door.

Haizaki, following her example in a more belligerent manner, threw a frustrated kick at the door. The wood rattled for a while, but didn't move. Kuroko gave the male a look of pity, as Haizaki threw a small broken lamp towards the glass window in anger. The lamp shattered into pieces, and leaving a crack in the window in the process.

"We'll have to call for help." Haizaki said, his voice smudged with annoyance. "Where's that damned Nijimura when we need him?" He sat down on the dusty floor, caring less about whether his pants were going to get dirtied or whatnot. Then realizing how Kuroko was just uncomfortably standing next to the bed, Haizaki groaned and took off his jacket, throwing it towards the other side of the room. "You can sit on that."

"That's nice of you." She mumbled, as she carefully placed herself on the floor. They kept their silence for quite a while, both of them uncertain of what to do. Haizaki figured that he was ultimately the one that could ask for help in their current situation – especially when he had never heard Kuroko shout, or speak any louder than Midorima did, after all.

"I'll go get Nijimura." Haizaki picked up a chair nearby, and launched it at the cracked window. The glass and frame fell towards the ground below helplessly, as the chair dropped to the wooden floorboard. "You stay here. It's dangerous for a girl – and you'll be a nuisance." They were on the second floor – it was about six meters up in the air. It was pretty high, but Haizaki guessed that he wouldn't be that beaten up as much to die.

He stepped on the pointy edge of the wall, getting ready to jump. Really, he could try to shout and see if anyone would respond, but based on the distance and how far their room actually was from the lobby, it was useless. Of course, there was a possibility that some pairs that were next door were still remaining in their rooms after finding the pencil, but that also seemed unlikely because then there would've been some reaction when Haizaki attempted to kick the door down.

"God, this is such a pain the neck." He grabbed the side of the wall, as a gust of wind blew through the hole. A chill traveled down his spine as he saw how far down the ground was below him. He could hear small rumbles from above, but he could care less.

Just before he could leap down to the soil, something light and trembling held his shirt tightly. Haizaki almost lost his balance and fell forward, until his reflexes got the better of him as his hand speedily caught on to the remaining glass shard that was sticking out. He cut his palm in the process, but pain was the last thing he could recognize. Getting prepared to shout at the female who stopped him without warning, Haizaki opened his mouth and turned back as he jumped down on the floor again. But then he had to stop, after catching sight of the quivering lips of the small female.

She whispered something really quietly, that Haizaki doubted that she was even making any sound. "What did you say now?" He grunted, leaning further down to hear what she had to say.

"Don't go."

Haizaki's eyes widened at this – whether in shock or due to some other feeling, he did not know, nor cared. The crucial point was that the female didn't want him to leave, and especially when she said it so desperately Haizaki couldn't do anything to counter it. The male straightened his back, his expression solemn as he looked down at Kuroko's shivering figure. _Cut me some slack, you cruel woman._ He sighed helplessly, and slowly led her towards the floor again.

"I won't." He enunciated the two words, so that the female could hear it nice and clear. Kuroko seemed to be more assured at that. Haizaki went to pick up his jacket that was lying in a lonesome manner in the corner, and dusted it as he put it back on the floor, but this time right next to where he was sitting. Slumping down on the surface, Haizaki motioned at Kuroko to sit as well. The female sat on the jacket without much hesitation as before.

"So, you're afraid of the dark?"

"Not exactly."

"Claustrophobic?"

"No… well, kind of."

"You aren't exactly helping me."

The female glanced sideways at the male. "It's just… I was caught up in an earthquake when I was young. When I was six, I think. The mall crashed down, and I was one of the few survivors that were rescued in a span of two days. I… I'm afraid of being in confined places that might fall down on me, just like that."

Haizaki didn't respond to that. More like, if he knew how to respond to what the female just told him, he would've spoken up. But because he didn't, he chose not to. Often silence was the safest alternative, if nothing else seemed to be the correct thing to do. The female didn't say anything either. Haizaki rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing what to do any further.

He then gently placed his hand on hers, feeling the fast, inconsistent pulse of the female on his palm. Kuroko blinked cryptically, not knowing how to react. The latter didn't say a single word, looking in the other direction as he averted his gaze from the female. The girl then gradually looked down at the strong, firm hand of the boy. Haizaki felt her pulse slowing down, this time at a way more constant rate.

"Thank you, Haizaki-kun."

Haizaki remained silent.

* * *

After a while, Nijimura and the others came to look for them and opened the door after a few forced simultaneous kicks. The other Generation of Miracles seemed petrified when they first barged into the room, not giving Haizaki more than a suspicious glare. Aomine was the one that seemed to be fussing over everything the most, just like Haizaki had expected.

Seeing the female smile in her usual placid aura made Haizaki feel slightly relieved. He didn't like the Generation of Miracles, Aomine in particular, but if they were the ones that made Kuroko delighted at the moment, he guessed it really didn't matter. He didn't stand a chance against any of them anyway.

On their way back, the Generation of Miracles left Aomine and Kuroko alone to talk through everything that had happened. Of course, they wanted to know what occurred during their absence, but all of them knew that no one could be more desperate than Aomine.

"And so… we waited." Kuroko simply said, leaving out the part where Haizaki had held her hand. More like placing his hand on hers, but it really wasn't that much different or distinguishable.

Aomine seemed dissatisfied by her explanation of the whole story, but decided that it was enough. "I see. And Haizaki didn't do anything to you?"

"He isn't bad in the heart, like I said."

"Whatever." The ganguro murmured, as they walked in comfortable silence. It was awkward, forced, or obdurate – it was a small unknown and unseen conversation shared between Aomine and Kuroko, something that nobody else could comprehend. Aomine then paused, stopping in his tracks.

"Hey, Tetsu." He said in a serious tone, not like any of the indolent or playful ones he usually had the tendency to use.

"Yes?" Kuroko asked, twirling back as the moonlight descended down, making her hair glint under the starry night sky. The sight took Aomine aback – gee, the girl had something about making him go crazy, even without everything that gravure magazine models possessed. It was some attribute of the female – something that Aomine couldn't quite grasp.

"I've been think through this a while… and, well… you know, through this experience, I made up my resolve." He gulped, clenching his fists. Inhaling a deep breath, he looked up and stared at Kuroko, his piercing gaze penetrating her own.

"I love you."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: First off, thanks for the 200+ followers and 50 reviewers.**

 **Secondly, there seems to be a misunderstanding in terms of the pairings. This story isn't GoM x Kuroko, it's Kuroko x a yet to be known person. Which means, not all the GoM will like Kuroko in a romantic way.**

 **Also, from hereon you'll be able to see how different I develop characters from the original anime. This means that some characters will have a whole new personality (although using their anime ones as the base) as the story goes on.**

 **But anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

" _I can wait for you. All you need to do is love me back."_

"I love you."

Pregnant silence seemed to be filling up the vicinity. Kuroko seemed to be at loss at what to say, her eyes wide and her hand clenching the middle of her stomach. A soft breeze brushed over their heads, as a fair but awkward distance remained between the two. Aomine's face was flushed, as he slowly raised his hand up to the back of his neck.

"Ah, ah…" He grumbled, attempting to diminish the quiet atmosphere. "I'm sorry. I made this really awkward for you didn't I? Forget that I said that- yeah; we should go back, shouldn't we? Captain will shout at us if we are late for –" Aomine trudged forward, turning his back on the female, until Kuroko finally leapt towards the male and grabbed his wrist. The indigo-haired boy froze, his face still red from the confession. He didn't look back at Kuroko.

"I…" Her voice was trembling, low, and quiet. "I can't return your feelings… yet." She paused for a long time, as Aomine waited for her to continue. "If you can wait for me… then, I… I can love you back." Her heart was racing fast, faster than when she was running a few miles. Aomine turned around, only to notice the heavy blush on the girl's pale face.

Smirking, Aomine put his arm around her shoulder and wrapped her into an embrace. "I can wait." Kuroko remained silent. "Whatever your reason, I do understand I rushed a little over there. As long as you still have that small liking towards me… I can wait for as long as you desire."

Responding with a curt nod, Kuroko just clenched Aomine's shirt. The two then detached themselves from one another, as the female shyly held the latter's pinky. The ace just chuckled aloud, and then let go her hold and grasped her hand in whole. Kuroko didn't say a single thing as they went ahead.

The trees were shaking under the gust of wind that continued to blow fiercely. A small sound of grass crushing under weight echoed weakly throughout the forest, as a certain male ran three fingers through his gray hair, staring emptily at the tree trunks all around him. "Damn…" He punched the ground in defeat. "That hurts…" He was unsure whether the pain he was feeling was from his cracked knuckle that was spilling blood on the soil, or whether it was the violent throbs that was pulling on something in his chest that he didn't recognize.

"Hah…" He breathed loudly, wrapping his fingers around the wound. "This is so pathetic." He could always get a new girl. He could play with them, hang around with them; if he was lucky, and maybe get a dose of alcohol and-

Haizaki stopped thinking. It was useless. _Getting_ a girl didn't make any difference to him – unless that girl was Kuroko Tetsuya. He didn't know what was wrong with him at all. What did he lack that Aomine possessed of? Personality? Physical ability? His passion for basketball? First impression? He didn't know. Haizaki heaved a heavy sigh as he stood up and headed back towards the meeting place.

 _ **~TLTS~**_

"Ryouta, get the call!"

"I'm flipping the omelet right now!"

"Tomo-chan, get it please?"

"Yes, yes…"

The Kise household was noisier than usual, despite the fact that it was a Tuesday morning – the day when all of them weren't supposed to be at home, because their dad was at work, and both sisters out with their managers for the upcoming movie they were supposed to act in. And of course, Kise setting out earlier than usual because of basketball practice.

The only reason they were still at home was because all of their alarm clocks broke down at the exact same time, resulting in mutual havoc between all the members of the house. The small area was shaking due to all the busy feet running around at the same time, Kanade tripping over her long dress wherever she went.

"I'm going to school!" Kise shouted as he literally threw his breakfast into his mouth and grabbed his bag. He could already hear some of the seniors scolding him for his indolent behavior, telling him to clean up the court after school… that's usually what happened to the two first years that were in first string. Murasakibara Atsushi and Haizaki Shogo, if Kise remembered correctly.

Slamming the gym door open, Kise panted as he put his bag down nearby the wall. "I'm sorry I'm late –"

"Kise Ryouta-kun?" A feminine voice echoed behind him, as the blonde turned on his heels, only to see Momoi Satsuki, the manager that worked for the first string. "Great, I thought you weren't going to show up until the end of practice! Actually, Coach Shirogane decided to move you up to first string, based on your excellent skills displayed during the camp… you'll have a personal instructor for the first two weeks, too." They stopped as Momoi pushed the doors.

The tense vicinity of the first string made a chill go down Kise's spine. There was quite a significant difference between the first string and second string's practice's atmosphere. "This way." The pinkette led him towards the group of Generation of Miracles – those that inspired Kise to join the basketball club. And amongst them there was a familiar face of a girl he knew, Kuroko Tetsuya.

"Kurokocchi!" He jumped and wrapped his arms amicably around the female. Kuroko smiled as she whispered a greeting in the blonde's ear. "Kurokocchi, it's been such a long time! I felt so lonely because I couldn't talk to you during the camp, you know?"

"I wanted to talk to you too." Kuroko mumbled, wiggling out from Kise's embrace as she noticed the fiery eyes of the other Miracles, except Haizaki, who was just observing the whole scene wordlessly. It was rare sight for him to be even present at the court in the morning, anyway.

Momoi waited for a while, and then started talking again. "Well, it's great that you two already know each other! Kuroko-chan will be your personal instructor, Kise-kun, so you have to listen to her, okay? If you guys are friends, then that would definitely make everything flow more easily than I predicted." Kise grinned as he looked at Kuroko. He was one of the ones to witness (at least by what Kuroko told him during her visits) Kuroko's efforts just to make it to first string.

"Kurokocchi, then can I follow you around during practice?"

The female dribbled her basketball. "Yes, if you just don't slack off."

"So mean – I don't slack off, Kurokocchi!" He whined, as the other Generation of Miracles just silently listened to the two conversing in a much friendlier manner than they would've imagined.

Midorima grunted, opening his bottle of water. "What a feisty guy. I don't like him already." Muttering under his breath, the green head walked away with Murasakibara and Akashi by his side. Aomine was already off to play with the other members.

"He's a small forward, from what I heard." Akashi commented, "The same position as Haizaki."

"Heh… do you think he would be better than Zaki-chin?"

The vice captain glanced sideways, and then closed his eyes. "I see potential. For Haizaki… his skill is something we need to acknowledge – it's just his personality I cannot accept."

"We seem to share the same perspective on that particular matter." Midorima dribbled a ball forward and threw it into the hoop nearby. "Although he seems to have loosened up, for some reason. I am assuming that it is because he has feelings for Kuroko, but I honestly can't see Haizaki and Kuroko ending up with another at this point of time."

"That's because Kuro-chin has Mine-chin." Murasakibara mumbled. "I don't know if Mine-chin actually likes Kuro-chin more than Kuro-chin does, though…"

"What are you talking about? Obviously Aomine likes Kuroko more. You can just tell by how he looks at her, how he converses with her… Love is dripping from his eyes like hot chocolate." The green head said with much exasperation as he wiped the lens of his glasses and put them back on. Murasakibara looked skeptical, his eyes furrowed, as he didn't respond. Akashi was slight anxious about how the giant was responding to the whole situation – it wasn't right. Despite the fact that Murasakibara was all about intuition, it could be quite accurate at times.

Morning practice went by fast. School was boring, with the usual lectures and different textbook pages and worksheets. However, due to Coach Shirogane insisting that Kise had to get a taste of what an actual practice game was like, Akashi was forced to arrange a match with Komagi Junior High. It was supposed to be practice game only for second string, but simply to ensure Teiko's absolute victory; Kuroko and Kise were put in as substitute members of the game.

"Komagi, 2 points! Score, 38 to 41!"

Kise bit his bottom lip. He knew his teammates from the second string. Albeit that they were supposed to be handling the match fairly well, it wasn't easy because the other team was using rough play that was a 'bit' overboard, and also that the referee wasn't exactly paying attention to it at all. "Kurokocchi, are practice games always like this?"

"No… Komagi Junior High is never put as the first string's opponents, due to the fact that they aren't fair players." The female replied, as the scoreboards changed, Komagi being in the lead by almost a 20-point gap. The second string's coach blew his whistle and asked for an exchange of members, subbing out two of the second string players and changing them with Kuroko and Kise.

"What, it's just a blondie!"

"I think I saw that guy on my sister's magazine. She is damn crazy for him."

"Is the other one over there a _girl_?"

Laughter erupted in the court, as Teiko players exchanged expressions of discomfort. Kise growled, but Kuroko nudged him and said, "Concentrate, Kise-kun. Our goal here today is to help you learn and gain experience from this match, after all."

"I get it, I get it." The whistle blew again, and the ball flew into the air. The center of Teiko was the one to grab it first, flying into the air and passing it to Kuroko. The female hit the ball with terrifying strength towards halfway across the court where Kise was. The blonde's eyes widened with surprise – he did hear from the seniors on first string that Kuroko's hidden potential was something to take note of, but it was first time to actually witness it in real life.

Catching that ball as he barely caught it with both hands, Kise dribbled it past three defenders and swiftly threw the ball into the basket. The pace continued just like that, Kuroko passing, and the male scoring almost every single time. It was almost as if Aomine was on court – Kise's style was attempting to be free and undefined, just like Aomine's. Maybe that was why Kuroko felt comfortable even though she had never played with the blonde before; he was just like duplicate of Aomine Daiki.

"Score, 83 to 81! It's Teiko's victory!"

Kise's legs gave in as the male sunk down to the rubbery floor. Kuroko looked pretty exhausted from the entire running session – it wasn't like she was exactly the best when it came to stamina, anyway. Her body was at its limit for the day. Getting back nearly 40 points all at once wasn't a simple task, after all. Kise, for one thing, was still considered a beginner in basketball.

"Good job today, Kise-kun. Coach Shirogane will be super proud." Kuroko beamed happily, as Kise laughed, scratching the back of his head. He was grateful that the female was praising him in such a way – he was still an amateur compared to her usual partner, Aomine, after all. He wasn't certain whether they were really partners, but everyone seemed to call them the Light and the Shadow. The Light was Aomine, and the Shadow was Kuroko; although, to Kise it seemed like the exact opposite.

When they got back to school, it was already pretty dark. Aomine and Murasakibara were waiting in front of the school gates, Aomine waving his hand as he saw Kuroko. The girl quickened her pace a little when she caught sight of this, and then soon Aomine wrapped one arm around her neck. Kise clucked his tongue, as he took his time. _I see what kind of relationship they have._ "What's going on?"

"Mine-chin insisted that we needed to celebrate the fact that Kise-kun moved to first string." Murasakibara grumbled, glaring at nothing in particular. "I just wanted to go home with Aka-chin. He even offered a ride."

Aomine elbowed Murasakibara. "Don't be like that. Say, what about we have a party or something?"

"At this time of the day?" Kise glanced at his watch.

"The more the merrier, isn't it?" Kuroko nodded, as they all started walking.

* * *

"So…" Kise twitched. "What's this?"

"What do you mean, what's this?" Aomine slurped. "It's ice cream."

"A party at a convenience store? Nothing is making any sense here –"

"It's cheap. It's convenient. They have food. Why not?" Murasakibara scowled, as if he found it unfathomable of why Kise was having such a difficult time that they were partying at a convenience store. Not to mention, that he wasn't even willing to party in the first place.

Kise sighed. "And you're even buying it with my money."

"You're a model. You should earn a lot." The indigo-haired male shrugged, and Kise winced. Very well, his pay did increase, but that didn't mean they were done paying back the debt. They still had a few million yen remaining to pay back, which was precisely the reason why Kise felt so drained from spending his precious money on ice cream that he didn't find necessary.

"That's a foolish thing to say, Aomine." Midorima appeared from behind, as Kise jumped and freaked out. "You should pay him back later."

"Why are you here, anyway?" Kise grunted, as Midorima held up a small cat figurine.

"I came to purchase my lucky item for the month."

When Kise turned back, Murasakibara was coming out with another box of snacks, and with Momoi musing over the fact that Kuroko had given her an ice cream stick with the "Chosen" symbol on it – saying that she will cherish it. The blonde sighed, and then stared at the friendly atmosphere. Kise never really had friends in his life. Could he call everyone here his friends? He bit the tip of his ice cream off and munched on it.

 _Oh well._

* * *

"Shogo, you fucking left my magazine in the closet, didn't you?"

"You should thank me for putting that thing in the closet – or else mom would've found out."

The agitated former swung the closet open and tossed out all the pieces of clothing (that weren't his, as a matter of fact) and tucked his gravure magazine into his arms and plopped down on the bed. Haizaki Shogo grunted, but reluctantly made space for his brother to fit. His brother, Hasaya, had a separate room, but he always came over to Haizaki's because his room was way too messy.

Hasaya munched on a chocolate chip cookie, the crumbs spilling all over the sheets. "Shogo, aren't you going to get a new girlfriend?" Choking on the air, Haizaki coughed as he ripped the bed sheets out and threw out the crumbs on the floor.

"I am getting a- a _what_?"

Hasaya scratched his dark, ash-gray hair. "You know," He turned on the television and switched the channel to a random comedy show. "You always used to talk about having these hot chicks as your girlfriends… big boobs, nice hips, thin legs… but for the past year, you haven't been saying anything of the sort."

Haizaki remained silent at the commentary. Coming to think about it, he had never realized the fact that he had been more distant from the topic of girls from his brother. The only time the two ever got along was when they were conversing about hot models, or when they were reading a gravure magazine together. Of course, Haizaki still bought the magazines and everything, but he wasn't as interested as he used to be.

"Well?" Hasaya inquired. "Found a new girl?"

The fleeting image of Kuroko Tetsuya flashed across his trail of thoughts, as well as the awkward night at the camp, and the other personal times of the male himself drowning in the haze of the female. But then the scene of the windy night kept on replaying painfully at the same time, his head going blank as a sandstorm swept through to forcefully erase everything.

" _I can't return your feelings… yet."_

Haizaki looked up at the ceiling and groaned. "No."

"No, my ass." Hasaya rolled his eyes and snorted. "Well, I can't force you." He stood up and exited the room, and Haizaki assumed that he was going out to meet his friends. The male took a cautious glance at the clock that was hanging in a rather odd fashion on the wall. It was seven in the afternoon – not that late. He grabbed his indigo sweater and changed into his khaki shorts that came to his knees.

When he went down the stairs, his mom was in the kitchen, cutting up some cabbages for whatever reason. "Shogo, where are you going?"

"Just going out a for a walk."

She frowned, puzzled. "A _walk_? Since when were you such a civilized lad, huh?"

"I need to cool off, okay?" Haizaki rubbed the back of his neck furiously in frustration. "And just because I get Cs and Ds on my report card doesn't mean I'm uncivilized."

His mom rolled her eyes, her hands on her hips. "So you finally realized that your head wasn't attached to your neck. Do what you want, but come back before nine, got it? And also, did you tell Hasaya to clean up his room? That lad's room is so disorganized, that I'd be so worried if he brings a girlfriend for the night and they won't have enough space on the bed to do stuff."

"Out of all things you can worry about a messy room, you are worrying over _that_? Jesus Christ, mom." Haizaki pulled his sneakers on and departed the house. It was still around May – the weather was cool at night for a mere walk. The male could consider all the options he had at that moment – call up a random high school girl he knew and hang out, or go to the convenience store and just hang around and read gravure magazines.

 _I guess I will literally just have to walk around for a while…_ He grumbled, and set out towards the busy streets. Businessmen in their suits, and teenagers with their own little groupies were hanging around the intersections. The male unconsciously wondered if the Generation of Miracles hung around like this during their free time, after practice. Then he realized how stupid he was – _I'm a part of the Generation of Miracles. What am I talking about?_

A certain blonde male whooshed before his eyes. Kise Ryouta – running for the same position as Haizaki was on the team, and aiming to be on starting lineup as well. It would be a matter of time before he caught up with Haizaki's skill level, and eventually surpass him. The gray-haired male knew that from the deepest pits of his darkness; that he merely look like a pawn on the board, compared to Kise who'll be the shining knight of Teiko.

He was going to be replaced.

Haizaki chuckled in exasperation. If it was him a year ago, he would be fuming in pride and anger, muttering things like Kise would take more than a hundred years to ever catch up to his level, and that he was far more talented than the blonde… anything that was in the boundary of something like that. It fucking sucked, but Haizaki knew the truth. In everything that he would commit himself to in life, it would be taken away by someone else. It was just everything that he lacked that allowed him to be defeated so easily.

In terms of studying, there would always be a few billion people better than him. Sports was the probably the only category of the possibilities he was successful at, and even that one achievement, will be replaced with someone else. He didn't even know what he wanted to do in the future – his brother, Hasaya, would inherit his father's small company, unless he decided to do something else; unlike Haizaki, the older was actually intelligent. He received accolades from competitions that recognized his ability.

Even in terms of love, Haizaki had no place to stand.

 _I have to forget her._ He blankly thought. _It was simply comical for a guy like me to like such a bland girl like her. I would even go as far to say that she is too much for me. Someone like her deserves a guy that would treat her better, will be able to express their feelings, and care…_ Haizaki Shogo couldn't do anything to Kuroko Tetsuya, compared to Aomine Daiki.

He was her Light, and she was his Light, too. No Shadow existed between the two of them.

Lost in his trail of thoughts, Haizaki crossed the road with an empty look. He looked at his watch – it was around eight. He never realized that he had been just walking around for an hour. "I should return home…" Clucking his tongue, Haizaki noticed that he had strayed pretty far from his house. Putting his hands in his pockets, the male quickened his pace and went back, the only idea of having to forget the female stuck in his head.

"… Haizaki?"

The said male froze as his name echoed repeatedly in the dark. He recognized that gruff, uninterested voice – pretty similar to his own, if he had to say – but slightly more tenacious and wild. Haizaki turned on his heels with his plastered with the usual scowl. There he was, Aomine Daiki, a basketball firmly held between his sides and arm. "Hey, Daiki."

"What're you doing over here?" The tanned male was obviously not fond of his existence – but Haizaki didn't exactly like the latter, either.

"I live around here. What, never saw a Teiko student strolling around the area?"

Aomine shrugged, and then eyed the male for a while. "You were putting on a pretty serious expression there before. Are you finally concerned about what'll happen to your future?"

"Oh, fuck – sure I am." Haizaki laughed, trying his best to conceal his nervousness. "You look pretty tense yourself. I know you hate me, but you don't need to be so… public about it, you know? You're hurting my feelings."

"That's good, because then I am achieving my goal for the day." Aomine smirked, and there was deathly silence between the two males for a while. "Say, are you still… do you feel the same way about Tetsu?"

 _Of course I do, you bastard._ Haizaki's inner self bashed, but the male just twitched a little and gave the latter a small, bitter grin. "I have no idea of what you're talking about. I got a new chick long ago. It was a transient liking – I'm not up to anything that's one-sided, anyway."

Aomine seemed dubious about the grand statement he made, but eventually relaxed his tense shoulders. "Well, good. Less competition for me."

The two didn't even bid farewell to one another and went their own separate ways. Haizaki walked in silence, and stared up at the night sky. There were no stars – everything was a gray haze.

"I can freaking wait too, you know." He muttered distastefully, as if waiting for a response longingly.

Of course, no one did.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here is an update! Yay! (Damn it, CaptainRainbowSama. Here is the update you asked for.) (Sorry, we're really great friends in real life.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

 _"There is always one person that will never be noticed by the person they love. They'll do everything they can, just to grab the other's attention – even to the point where they will transform into the villain of the story."_

Midorima Shintaro tapped his pencil on the desk. During his second year of middle school, many things had changed. Akashi becoming vice captain, (and not to mention, the president of the Student Council) Kise joining first string, Haizaki becoming less troublesome… The green head had no problem whatsoever adjusting to the new atmosphere – it was just that he had a bad feeling. _Oha Asa_ did warn him that this year was going to be an eventful year, with a downhill of continuous unfortunate sequences of happenings.

 _Libra, Sagittarius, Virgo, Cancer, Gemini… and Aquarius._ Midorima glanced cautiously at the female who was sitting behind him. It was not a coincidence. The list of zodiacs that the fortune telling channel had warned to the general audience were not to be acquainted as much as possible throughout the year.

It was definitely a little too late for that.

"Akashi, are you done?" Midorima asked, as he dragged the Student Council's office open. The red head was playing shogi in the midst of the silent, lonesome classroom, lost in his own world. "Captain had told me that you were to report immediately to the coach's office after practice. It sounded like something important, so…" He shrugged, as Akashi looked up and smiled.

"I see. Thanks for passing on the message. Speaking of practice… don't you think Haizaki is oddly… attentive, nowadays?" The florid eyed male threw his bag over his shoulder and locked the classroom shut. "Even Nijimura-san is surprised by how early he comes to practice compared to last year."

Midorima blinked at the commentary. "If I have to add, he also seems a little unenthusiastic." Akashi narrowed his eyes at that, as if inquiring for further explanation. The bespectacled male went on. "At least during his first year… he was very eager to come in to first string, I remember that much. And then he entered the string after winning fifty points all by himself in two practice matches against other schools. He was tardy to practice, but he was willing to defeat other teams. Nowadays, I feel like Haizaki… Well, he is honored and titled the name of ours, the Generation of Miracles, but he scarcely tries to play in matches. He gives most of the chances to either Kuroko or Kise."

"I guess." Akashi turned around the corner, and stepped into the locker room. Kuroko Tetsuya. Aomine Daiki. Haizaki Shogo. And finally, Akashi Seijuro. Aomine and Kuroko were getting closer as days went on, and Haizaki was growing seemingly distant from the two. It was either that he was starting to give up on pursuing for the female, or was just fed up with having to deal with a one-sided relationship… Akashi didn't know. The red head himself had been exhausted. He found himself on his knees, begging for the attention and love of the female.

It was pathetic. Akashi knew it was pathetic. Despite all his efforts, Kuroko never looked in his direction. Everything he did was futile, useless, and unnecessary. The female was deeply in love with Aomine Daiki. The latter wasn't as refined as Akashi, or as wealthy. But Aomine and Kuroko had an invisible connection and bond between them – a trust that was in the form of love, and love that was in the form of trust. Something that Akashi couldn't have.

He fondled with the white horse toy that Kuroko had presented to him quite long ago. It was the only affection that she had ever shown to him so openly – and Akashi treasured it. Clenching it in his fists, Akashi gave it a last squeeze and closed the locker.

Practice was quiet. Everyone seemed to be on edge for no reason – especially the third years. Akashi remembered that Nijimura wanted to have a word with him after practice; the captain himself was nowhere to be seen. The red head clutched the basketball he was holding in his hands, and stared down at cautiously. His head spun, and the ground was shaky as if it was going to fall apart right beneath him.

"Akashi-kun?"

He took a while to regain his balance. Kuroko was looking down in a worried fashion, with him on the floor. Gazing up at the female, Akashi realized how fast his heart was actually beating. It was abnormal. The girl spread out her hand towards the male, and Akashi just stared at it for a while, until he hesitantly grasped it as she helped her up on his feet.

"Are you alright?" She inquired. "You suddenly crashed down. Did something happen? Do you feel nauseous?"

Akashi winced at the bright, radiant aura Kuroko was releasing. She was too much for him. For a Light like her, a Shadow like him wasn't necessary. Perhaps, to make Kuroko happy, there just needed to be another Light – like Aomine. Akashi was too weak to protect her. He was barely living on, dealing with his own family. There wasn't a necessity for there to be a Shadow that was supporting a Light. There just needed to be two Lights supporting one another.

"… I'm fine." The red head looked away, and walked far off to the corner. He was attracting attention. "Nothing that you need to be concerned about." The pale-faced girl froze for a second. Akashi knew that he was acting cold towards her, when she didn't even do anything wrong in particular. But _he_ couldn't manage, if things went on like this. It was either that he tortured her with his needless affection and became a nuisance, or that he forgot about her completely.

Practice ended with the same solemn silence. The third years, unlike how they normally did, wandered around as if they were waiting for something to happen. And judging by their expressions, it certainly wasn't something that was supposed to be pleasant.

"Coach Shirogane, it's Akashi." Akashi knocked the door and opened it with much precision. Inside there was Nijimura and the elderly coach conversing with one another, as they both proceeded to pause as they caught sight of Akashi. "… Am I too early?"

"No, no… you're perfectly on time." Coach Shirogane gestured towards the empty seat. "Please, sit down. We have quite a bit to tell you today." Akashi obediently walked towards the seat and faced the coach. The fact that Nijimura wasn't saying a word was bothering him, but the red head decided to observe the situation before coming to a conclusion.

"So, Akashi… how's your duty as the vice captain going?" Coach Shirogane asked, as Akashi frowned.

"Quite smoothly, coach."

"I see, I see… that's nice to hear, isn't it, Shuzou?" The coach turned his attention to the current captain. Nijimura nodded his head in silent agreement. "The thing is, Akashi… I think it is time to move you from your concurrent position as vice captain."

The red head tilted his head to side. "Are you saying you are appointing a new vice captain to replace me, coach?"

"No, the exact opposite. You are going to be appointed as the new captain of the Teiko basketball team."

Akashi took a while to process the short sentence. He glanced at Nijimura, who just remained quiet for a few minutes, until he opened his mouth to provide an explanation.

"It's the natural occurrence that the vice captain becomes the next captain. I… I have to resign from the club itself, due to my father's sickness worsening… so I decided to appoint you as the next captain. Be proud, Akashi – you're the first vice captain to ever be appointed captain during their second year. You can choose whomever to be in you service as vice captain. I would recommend Midorima or Murasakibara, but that's your choice. Midorima would be the more responsible of the two, though. I apologize for leaving you with so much responsibility."

The red head felt like his head was going blank – just like a white sheet of clean paper. Responsibility. Captain of the Teiko basketball club. Nijimura leaving the school. He was used to the weight that was always added to his shoulders. All he needed to do was adjust to it, and continue moving on.

Nijimura stood up and exited the room, as Akashi quickly followed. "Nijimura-san."

The said captain stopped in his tracks. "… I'm sorry, Akashi."

"No, I'm not asking for an apology –"

"Doesn't matter. I'm sorry." Nijimura casually turned around, a towel around his neck. "It wasn't my intention to give up my position as a captain. You must have your own issues going around, but… yeah. Sorry about that."

"… It's fine." Akashi said after a while. That's right. He was fine. All that was going to change was his position from a supporting captain to an actual captain. He was the president of the student council – what could possibly be so much more challenging, just because his rank increased on the pile?

Nijimura stared at him for a while, and then opened his mouth. "Hey, do you know where Shogo is?"

Akashi blinked. He had never heard Nijimura call Haizaki in such a manner before – calling someone by his or her given name usually implied the fact that they were very close. Nijimura seemed to have noticed this, and laughed a little. "I'm a friend of his brother, you see. Haizaki Hasaya – you know, the senior's troublemaker. I scarcely make it obvious of my relationship with Shogo – people will think that I am presenting favoritism. But yeah, do you know where he is?"

"The last time I saw him was at the gym." Akashi nodded, as Nijimura thanked him and went. The red head then proceeded to retrieve his belongings in the locker room, and then headed outside – going past the said gym in the process. He looked over his shoulder through the gap between the double doors, and caught sight of Haizaki and Nijimura sitting down in the middle of the court and talking furiously – well, more like Haizaki looked like he as going insane, while Nijimura was trying to keep the latter in control.

"So let me repeat that fucking stupidity that danced out of your mouth. You, are leaving the basketball club because you can't handle the fucking Generation of Miracles?" Haizaki demanded, as Akashi froze.

"No. Well, yes. That's partially the reason – but I told you, my father is sickly. You already know this because Hasaya told you, right? And it's not the Generation of Miracles I can't handle – I can handle you. It's just… they're too powerful for me to order around. They're beasts. It's just the timing… I need to leave." Nijimura muttered under his breath, as Haizaki groaned, running his fingers through the locks of his ash-gray hair.

"Nijimura, you know that Akashi isn't gonna let me stay on the team, right? I'm gonna be kicked out sooner or later –"

"Shogo." Nijimura started sternly. "You're not like how you used to be before. I know that Akashi is aware of that – he won't kick you out of the team unless you resign yourself. And I'm not going to allow you to do that because then Kuroko will be left alone in the end, and that's the last thing I want happening to her at Teiko."

Haizaki gasped for more air as he began to retort. "Kuroko has that damned ganguro, okay? She has Aomine! They like each other, and I know it. Do you know how those other guys are all over her, being so over-protective all the time? There's no way she can be left alone from guys like that!"

"Trust me – she's going to need you by her side at some point. Even if she doesn't like you back, Shogo." Nijimura sighed, as Akashi silently listened to the whole conversation and left before he heard the conclusion. That's right. Kuroko had Aomine. She didn't need anyone else… she didn't need anyone apart from the remaining of the Generation of Miracles. Akashi Seijuro was an unnecessary puzzle piece in her life that didn't belong in the picture.

It was almost close to a year and a half – a year and a half, ever since Akashi had fallen in love with Kuroko Tetsuya. She was the Light in his life. No matter how tough things were at home, her scent, her voice, her face, and her smile – practically anything about her could make his day feel so much enhanced. The horse key chain she had presented to him reminded him of her on the bitterest days. She was the only source of comfort he had.

He didn't want to lose Kuroko.

It was fine if he only got to look at her from a distance. If even that was too much for Akashi to deserve, then just being able to hear her laugh was fine too. Her sign of happiness was a relief to Akashi, and it was almost as if his worries didn't matter to him anymore. Everything would be okay.

That's when an idea sparked into Akashi's mind. _If she can't love me…_ He lowered his gaze. _Then surely… she can hate me._ It was totally fine if Kuroko despised him, after whatever he did. If only she was within his reach…

"Aka-chin, I don't know what you have up your sleeve, but don't do it."

Akashi jumped, as he saw Murasakibara passing on a cross look as he stood there, clutching his water bottle, dressed in his school uniform.

"… Murasakibara, I didn't even say anything. Besides, I thought you went home already."

"That was my original plan," Murasakibara shoved some chips into his mouth, "but I made some changes. I'm not going home today."

"You're sleeping outside?"

"Bluntly saying, yes." The giant shrugged; as he met his sluggish looking eyes with Akashi's sharp ones. "Not a big deal. I do it every now and then when I'm fed up with my siblings. None of them care, so that's fine too."

"What did you mean, 'Don't do it'?" The new captain glared up at the tall boy.

"Well…" Murasakibara started. "Aka-chin looked a little weird… tense… so I was thinking you were coming up with another absurd idea of yours. Am I wrong?"

"Yes." Akashi lied. "How rude."

Shrugging a little, Murasakibara proceeded to the locker rooms – presumably where he was going to spend the night. Whether the purple head was going to sleep outside or not wasn't Akashi's business – so he decided to depart as well.

* * *

Teiko had been chaotic as soon as Nijimura had resigned from the team. The intensity and conflict between the second years and third years increased, due to the fact that both the vice captain and captain were second years, when the third years thought that it was only the right thing for them to be the slightest bit in charge. Akashi and Midorima had a difficult time convincing the rest of the team that they were capable of their duties.

Haizaki had grown even more distant from the team, almost to the point where some people scarcely remembered the fact that he was on first string. New members that joined since second semester didn't even know who this Haizaki Shogo was.

Apart from that, everything went smoothly. The Generation of Miracles was still at the peak of their name, all kinds of magazines coming to interview them victory after victory. Kise had become the new rising star of the team after Haizaki resumed to his frequent absences on the starting lineup, while Aomine and Kuroko continued showing the best in their work.

Teiko was still the undefeatable power school.

"Everything's surely going easy nowadays, aren't they?" Kise laughed, as he threw a basketball and instantly made a two pointer. "We're winning all the practice matches too – I wish I was officially appointed as one of the starting members already… I bet I can win Haizaki-kun by now anyway. He's been slacking practice, right?"

"It's not good to underestimate Haizaki-kun, Kise-kun. He's one of the strongest players on the team, after all." Kuroko chided, as Kise whined.

"But Kurokocchi, you saw me yesterday, right? I just stole that ball from the brown guy and whoosh! My copy skills are flourishing day by day!"

Aomine snorted. "When all you do is copy, you'll never win against a decent opponent even once, Kise."

Huffing, the blonde stomped his feet on the ground and thumped his chest with pride. "I'll show you one day, Aominecchi! I'm going to be the victorious one against all of you in maybe… uh… high school? And beat all the Generation of Miracles at Teiko!"

"In your dreams." Midorima said from faraway, but loud enough so that Kise could hear him. "If you're really so confident that you can win all the Generation of Miracles, say that after defeating Haizaki on a one-on-one match. If you can't defeat Haizaki, then that means you're unworthy of beating any of us here, anyway."

"Geez, Midorimacchi is only good at three-pointers anyway!" Kise remarked, as Midorima glared meaningfully.

"Are you looking down on my skill, Kise?"

"N-no, of course not!" The blonde laughed nervously, as he stumbled over his own words. "But geez, then I'll just need to defeat Haizaki-kun and show him that I got stronger, right? Then the small forward position on the starting lineup is officially mine?"

"Well… yes." Midorima frowned, as he fixed the position of his glasses. He was doubtful that at Kise's current level, that he would even stand a chance against Haizaki. Despite the fact that Haizaki was a slacker, he was accepted because of his skill. That's why Nijimura stressed the importance of training on the gray-haired male, and that method of violence of their former captain had been effective while he was present. Kuroko's entrance to the first string was a plus as well. But after Nijimura's departure, and presumably some other component that pulled on Haizaki's strings, stopped him from practicing any further than he previously had.

Even so, Haizaki could still stand victorious against Kise.

As if on cue, Haizaki entered the gymnasium. He looked rather lazy, as he took off his jacket and threw his bag to the side of the court. A somewhat bothersome expression was spread across his face – something that was between the lines of depression and determination.

"Ne, Haizaki-kun!" Kise approached the gray-haired male, who gave Kise a despicable look. "Do you want to do a one-on-one with me?"

"No." Haizaki responded curtly, as he tried to push his way through Kise.

"Oh, come on! We both play the small forward position, so I thought I could challenge you to your spot on the startling lineup…"

Haizaki scowled. "Starting lineup… Oh, right… I was in something shitty like that…" He threw his sneakers around as he slammed then right down on the floor. "You can have it. No need for a one-on-one."

The whole gym went dead silent at that comment. Kise looked dumbfounded.

"That's it, right? If you're done, then I'm going. I have some business I need to take care of, you see –"

"Wait, wait! Is it that easy for you? To hand over your position to someone else? What happened to your spirit?" Kise exclaimed, as the other players on first string gave Haizaki a cross look, as it sounded just like Haizaki was mocking all of them.

"Spirit?" Haizaki snorted. "Seriously, cut me some slack. I never had any of that to begin with, and besides… I'm not that much of a passionate person to simply play a one-on-one match with a newbie like you over my position, you see. So I'll give it you. It's an unnecessary position for me, you see…"

"But Haizaki-kun –"

"Kise Ryouta." Everyone in the room instantly flinched at Haizaki's tone – his dangerous tone. "I'm not interested in your little shit. Now get out of the fucking way – I have business with Akashi, not you." He pushed through the model, and then paused before turning back to face the latter. "And by the way, why don't you take some good care of your girlfriends? It's kinda annoying when they're latching to me, you know – when it's not like they have big tits or anything."

Kise's face flushed a little, as he mustered up a retort – but before he could even say a word, Haizaki was out of the scene.

"I heard you had business with me, Haizaki." Akashi glanced at the male who just gave him a slightly cocky look. "What is it?"

The small forward just pulled out a piece of paper that was scribbled with almost illegible handwriting. It was written 'Club Resign form' on the top, with all the different reasons written beneath. The red head frowned, as he scanned the paper. He didn't really bother to decipher the code-like sentences on the page, and decided to ask Haizaki straight out instead. "Why?"

Haizaki shrugged in response. "Got bored. Not intrigued to play basketball anymore. No motivation and all. You heard what happened over there just now, right? I'll hand over my small forward starting member position to Ryouta. You can continue doing whatever shit you are doing, and with me resigning from the team, you don't have a troublemaker to deal with anymore. It's for the better situation of both parties – I thought you'd be delighted."

Delighted. More like confuddled. "Regardless, you are a excelling player on first string. Your abilities surpass a handful of seniors, and you display formidable results during the Nationals and the practice matches. I can't possibly allow you to resign from the team so easily –"

"Then just say you fucking kicked me out – what's the big deal?"

Akashi paused. "… I thought Nijimura-san wanted you to continue performing on the team as a starting member."

Scratching the back of his neck, Haizaki groaned. "I don't actually pay attention to what that guy says about me and my improvement every single second, okay?"

"No, about Kuroko."

The gray-haired male froze at that one. "You were eavesdropping on our conversation? Wow, asshole."

"It wasn't intentional." Akashi said in his defense, and went on. "I thought the Generation of Miracles were incapable of staying by her side till the end."

Throwing his arms up into the air, Haizaki rolled his eyes. "You know that Nijimura is just blabbering nonsense. Kuroko has Daiki – you see it too, don't you? If you have eyes and a fucking brain that function as well as mine, then you'll get it. The love is in the air!" And then he stopped for a while. "And you should've noticed. Kise's ability is something to go over. He'll surpass me in a matter of years."

"Haizaki –"

"Losers aren't needed on the team, right?" The latter mumbled. "I'm gonna leave, Akashi. Leave me alone. I really don't want to meet that girl anymore."

Akashi knew perfectly well. That Haizaki was in love with the girl as well, and was jealous of Aomine as much as he was. He didn't know whether the emotions that were building up inside were frustration or relief. Frustration that Haizaki was giving up, and resigning from the team – or relieved that he had one person less to fight against for Kuroko.

But at the same time, Akashi also knew that Haizaki was lying. Haizaki loved the girl more than anyone else – possibly more than himself and Aomine. The way he had drastically changed due to the female's influence was significant. He had fallen hard for her. Hard to the core.

And that's why he didn't know what do.

* * *

Haizaki Shogo stepped out of the gymnasium, and walked towards the back of the school. He stared at his basketball shoes. Man, those were costly. His mom almost killed him when she found out that he had used her credit card to purchase them at the mall – even though they were on a seventy-percent discount.

He stared at the ball of flames that were burning inside the box. The materials inside were no longer recognizable. His shoes would be one of them – soon. He had no regrets. He tried his best. Not because he liked basketball, but because he wanted to see a certain girl smile. She looked so… contented, when they had won a game, after all. Everyone else was getting bored by the consecutive victories that were won without much effort – but she always seemed to joyful, every single win. So he tried. Even during the moments where he was lazy and exhausted and bored throughout the game, he felt like he could somehow go on when he saw her thin lips curl into a smile, directed at him whenever he made a shot. Everything he accomplished was suddenly so valuable, so worthy at the end.

Now, he wanted to let go.

He lifted up his basketball shoes and prepared to release his tight grip on them.

Suddenly –

"Haizaki-kun, don't."

Small, skinny fingers wrapped around his wrist and pulled it back. Haizaki's eyes widened at the sensation and the voice – he recognized all of them. Kuroko was standing there, her large teal eyes looking concerned and worried – for him.

"What are you doing?" He spat.

"Stopping you from doing something reckless." She responded, sounding slightly angry and agitated. "Haizaki-kun, please. Don't do this."

He could feel his heart falter. His mind was yelling at him to go retrieve that resignation form or whatever from Akashi and said he was joking about the whole thing – and that he couldn't bear to see Kuroko look at him like that. But no. He knew that he needed to let go.

"… You don't have anything to do with this."

"Of course I do! You helped me then. I… never paid you back for it." Kuroko looked away. Haizaki realized she was talking about what happened back then, in the locked room.

He groaned. "That was nothing –"

"It was something to me. And this is something to you." She said sternly. "Please, don't quit the team- no, don't quit basketball."

Haizaki looked down at Kuroko. Why was she so desperate? She had Aomine. She found her happiness. Haizaki didn't. He gritted his teeth. "Why are you fucking so…" His body acted up on its own. He moved forward, and wrapped his arms around her thin neck and hugged her tight, like she was going to disappear – as if this all a hallucination, a distant dream. Kuroko's eyes widened. "Why…" He whispered again.

 _I can't give up on her._


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for all the support as usual, guys.**

 **In this chapter, a new perspective would be introduced, and hopefully more often as this story progresses. This is going to be the actual starting point where I start altering things in the manga to fit this story.**

 **There is one** _ **The**_ _ **Outsiders**_ **reference in this chapter by the way, just for the joy of those who read that wonderful book.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

" _None of us desired change – but that didn't stop anything."_

"Satsuki, where are you going out at this time of the night?"

"Just a short jog! I'll be right back!"

Momoi Satsuki shut the door, as she squeezed her thin feet into her tight, worn out sneakers. Pulling down her cap, the female made her way towards the basketball court – the one where they always met together.

"… Dai-chan?" She called out, as she saw the tanned boy throw a free shot into the hoop. He was wearing his dark blue sweater and baggy jeans. "Make it short. I need run back home soon. Geez, who calls a girl out during this time of the night?" She sat down on the dusty bench, as the male laughed a little.

"You're a girl? Never knew."

"Dai-chan!" She threw a pile of fallen leaves towards Aomine, as he placed himself next to her.

Comfortable silence fell over the pair. Their silence was never awkward, long or short – considering the amount of time they had known one another. "Hey, Satsuki." The boy started. The girl just listened. "I… don't know what to do anymore."

Momoi's eyes fluttered open, as she turned to face Aomine. He went on, staring dreamily at the night sky. "Basketball… it's boring now. I can't even bother to tell Tetsu about it – she just seems so- so… energetic, you know? And since we're titled that fancy Shadow or Light or something… I can't let her down. But to be honest, there weren't any interesting opponents these past few weeks. Haizaki quit the team yesterday – who knows what's gotten into him. All those strong guys just happen to be in Teiko… There's just… no spice to any game I play in, you get what I mean?"

"… I guess." She responded. Kuroko Tetsuya. That's all Aomine ever talked about nowadays. The pits of her stomach felt empty whenever she heard that name. She wasn't jealous – really, she wasn't. Jealousy was an emotion that was only felt when you had the slightest hope that you'd be able to end up with whoever your crush was. Momoi knew Aomine was never going to like her back – therefore there was no such thing called jealousy pooling up in her mind.

"Coach Shirogane keeps on saying that the time will come – that there are plenty of stronger players that I can fight against in this world – I mean, there are billions of people on this whole Earth, you know?"

"You still didn't fight against any of the Uncrowned Kings." Momoi remarked. "There must be plenty of players out there to entertain you."

"Think about the reason of why they are 'Uncrowned', Satsuki," Aomine retorted, "It's because they are inferior in terms of skill, compared to the Generation of Miracles. Players like them do not interest me. They're not even on the same team – it'd be impossible for one of them to beat all five of us."

The pink-haired girl gave the latter a sympathetic look. Aomine had always aimed for the top. Momoi was always next to him when he was doing so. He climbed, stumbled, and ran towards the finishing line, rushing past people that couldn't catch up to the tanned male's level. What Momoi and Aomine had both expected was a beautiful view at the end. A prize, a satisfying result of becoming the 'best'.

But there was nothing at the top.

Nobody dared to challenge Aomine. Nobody could reach Aomine. Aomine couldn't stretch his abilities any further – if he did, it would be eternally impossible for anyone to be at the same page as he was. So the male waited – he patiently waited, until a 'challenger' arrived. But Momoi could see, that he was starting to run out of that patience.

"You just have to wait, Dai-chan." She mumbled quietly. "Even though somebody may not appear right now, during your middle school years, in high school it would be different. The Generation of Miracles would all be separated into their own teams – you are no exception. You would be able to fight against them, and meet some other worthy players." She stood up, her hands in her pockets as she walked slowly out of the court. Turning back, she smiled at the male. "You'll find someone, Dai-chan."

Aomine stared at her for a while, skepticism in his eyes. But he smirked back, and walked out of the other side of the court. "Thanks, Satsuki." With that, he left. Momoi's eyes remained plastered on Aomine, until he vanished from her sight. She was always gazing at his back – ever since they had met, ten years ago.

As she went home, she passed a convenience store and found Kise packing up in it, through the glass. She beamed and waved at the blonde who looked oddly grim. He then spotted her, and eventually brightened up and waved back. The auto doors opened as Kise jumped at her, squeezing her shoulders. "Momoicchi! Why are you out here, this late? Well, I'm out pretty late too, so I guess I shouldn't be saying anything. But anyway, wanna walk back home together? We go the same direction, right?"

"Sure." Momoi responded, slightly overwhelmed by the optimism of Kise. "Ki-chan, why are you out in the convenience store till this late?"

"Don't call me Ki-chan- and well, I do shifts, you see. I quit working, but then they said they needed somebody so I volunteered. What were you doing?"

The girl just thought about her answer for a while. "Just," she shrugged, "taking a walk."

"Oh." Kise nodded. Then they went on in awkward silence. The two were on good terms in general, but most of the time they didn't have a proper chance to talk to each other alone, personally. When they conversed, it was with all the Generation of Miracles and Kuroko gathered in one place.

"Hey, Ki-chan." Momoi broke the glass. "Do you like basketball?"

Kise blinked. "Of course I do!"

"Why did you join the basketball club?"

"Well… Aominecchi, I guess. He was so cool when he had that match in the court you know, it was the first move that I couldn't mimic! And well, the sport itself got exciting when I actually started learning it, and Kurokocchi was there too – we're really great friends, you see, as I told you before. And then I met everyone else… Midorimacchi is kinda scary, and Murasakibaracchi is okay… Akashicchi is kinda scary too, but I thought the whole team was really friendly and nice, and I got attached." Kise babbled on for a while.

"In the future…" Momoi pursed her lips together.

" _Players like them do not interest me."_

 _There was nothing at the top._

"In the future?" Kise repeated, leaning in to look at her. "What in the future?"

"Never mind." She shook her head, and then stopped walking. "This is my house. I'll see you tomorrow, then!" Waving once again, Kise slowly nodded and mumbled good night. Momoi closed the doors behind her. Pain twisted inside her chest, as she squeezed it and sunk to the ground.

 _Please hold on, Dai-chan._

* * *

"Game over, Teiko wins by 198 to 34!"

" _198 to 34_?"

"Are you serious?"

"Dude, don't even mention it. The last time they went against the… I don't know, the 5th most powerful school in the prefecture, and they won by 203 to 7! Man, that was amazing."

"The only reason the other team gained up to 34 points is because they have one of the Uncrowned Kings, right? Hanamiya Makoto, was it?"

"Man, he was an aggressive player."

"Well, being a third year is tough."

Teiko walked off the court in nonchalant triumph. They seemed so cool – so cool, to the point where it seemed like they had no emotion (as if they were the Socs from _the Outsiders_ ) – albeit the fact that they were the victorious team. The Generation of Miracles was in the lead of the huge first string group, along with Kuroko who had a slightly hardened expression.

"Hanamiya was a rough player, wasn't he?" Kise chirped.

"Hmph. I could've gotten all those 100 points if it weren't for Aomine." Midorima fixed his glasses, wiping the moist surface.

"They were weak. We were strong. The results won't change." Grunting in disappointment, Aomine wrapped his head with his large hands supporting it. Kuroko glanced upward at the male, concern flashing in her eyes, as she looked back down at the floor. She had rarely passed to him in the match. They didn't do their usual fist punch after it, too.

Murasakibara sluggishly made his way through. "Mine-chin, the coach will scold you again if you get so full of yourself."

"Bull shit. Tell him to do what he wants to – see if I give a shit. I was looking forward to the match a little bit because they all had that big talk about the Bad Boy and all, but he was just… weak in the end, compared to the five of us together." The ganguro clucked his tongue, as Akashi shook his head.

"That's not the ideal comparison you are capable of making, Aomine. Like you said, there was one of him, and five of us. If you include Kuroko, then that makes six. It was an unfair competition – and that's all there is to it." Aomine rolled his eyes at the captain's intelligent comment.

"I would've beat him to it all by myself, anyway."

This response of Aomine bothered Kuroko. 'By myself.' It wasn't 'By ourselves'.

" _Tetsu and I would've beat them easily to it ourselves! Right, Tetsu?"_

She wasn't included in the sentence anymore. Surely, he could've forgotten. Or maybe he never considered themselves as partners from the beginning.

" _I can wait."_

 _Are you still waiting?_

Kuroko clenched her fists as she inhaled a deep breath. Murasakibara looked down and leaned in towards her pale face. "Kuro-chin, are you okay?" The female jumped – she didn't know whether to appreciate how fast Murasakibara noticed the condition of others, or not. He seemed like a simply dense, tall center, but he was actually sharp when it came to instincts and reading situations.

"I'm fine." She smiled a little, as Murasakibara nodded and stood up straight again. The tall male was concerned. Teiko was changing. Aomine wasn't enthusiastic, Haizaki had left, Akashi always seemed paranoid, and… Murasakibara didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit. It was unnecessary. If only they could stay the way they were – just like that day they had all went to the convenience store together – it was already nothing but a vague memory.

Murasakibara Atsushi himself had never enjoyed basketball as much as his teammates did. He still didn't understand why he felt so inclined to join the club. He disliked basketball. He disliked sports. So many people that didn't give up on the game participated in sports. So many talentless people, not giving up on the hope of winning against the other team until the very end. It was like hoping you would be chosen to win the lottery when the results were already out.

But at the same time, it wasn't like he hated his team. He liked hanging around Akashi, who was always levelheaded and calm, leading the team through their hardships after Nijimura had departed. Although he was on the worst of terms with Midorima, they were still capable of having an ordinary conversation. Aomine and Kise got on his nerves now and then, but they always traveled to the convenience store together, using Kise's money. Kuroko… the girl looked weak. Murasakibara would usually ignore weak things – but Kuroko looked so fragile, so gentle, so kind – that Murasakibara was afraid of what would happen when she broke. So he tried in his own way to protect her.

Of course, it wasn't love. Well, yes, it was. Love, but not in such a romantic way as Akashi, or Haizaki… or Aomine. He felt like Kuroko's guardian, having to guard her from the dangers that were soon to approach. Nijimura's words had always bothered him for a while – that the Generation of Miracles wouldn't be able to be by her side until the very end. But who will stay by her side if _they_ don't?

"Murasakibara, don't laze around and move!" Midorima grunted, as the giant just shrugged, and walked forward to catch up with the rest of the team.

* * *

Haizaki Shogo exited the stadium. He inserted a few coins into the vending machine, picked up a can of coffee, and sat down on a bench. It seemed like his weekly routine, to go see all the matches of Teiko. It wasn't like he had any regrets left. He was nothing but a troublesome player for the team. It was a miracle that he had been accepted into first string.

" _Why…"_

"… _Haizaki-kun…?" Kuroko awkwardly stood there, not knowing what to do or say. She just waited until the male seemed calm again. Haizaki sighed through gritted teeth, and let her go. "Hai –"_

" _Don't." He grumbled, picking up his bag and throwing his shoes back into them. "Forget what happened just now." Glancing back at her in a nostalgic manner, Haizaki opened his mouth. "Forget that I was ever on the team. Forget that day. You don't owe me anything. Forget Haizaki Shogo. I'm just a troublemaker of this school that is always tardy to his classes, in homeroom 2-B. You are Kuroko Tetsuya, the phantom sixth man of the basketball team. It's better off that way."_

" _Haizaki-kun." Kuroko's eyelids fluttered. "I'm sorry everything happened."_

 _Haizaki would've said it wasn't her fault if he was in the right mind to speak any more. But he wasn't. "Whatever."_

 _Until the end, he couldn't ever say anything close to the lines of 'I loved you.'_

"Loved… huh." Haizaki opened the can and gulped the dark coffee down. That was wrong. He still loved her. There was no other reason why he continued to squeeze in the time of coming all the way to the arena where the games were held, as he watched the Generation of Miracles played together.

Her hair grew longer – it now came a little above the midpoint of her back. She was also slightly taller, maybe by about two centimeters. She looked more exhausted, and duller. She wasn't shining. She wasn't smiling, either.

He wondered if the Generation of Miracles noticed. He wondered if they noticed the things he did. The things that constantly changed about Kuroko in the span of two years. How the seasons were rapidly changing, and as they did, so was the girl.

"You're like a stalker, aren't you?"

A feminine voice approached him. Haizaki looked up and saw a pink-haired girl – someone he recognized fairly well.

"Satsuki." He smirked. "What the heck are you still doing here?"

The girl's expression softened, as she sat next to him. "Just, my house is nearby, and we don't have a meeting after this, so we can go straight back home." Scratching her knee, she put her folders to the side and tied her shoelace. "On another note, what are you still doing here?"

"I was bored." It wasn't exactly a lie. He was bored. He had finally decided to indulge himself a little more in his studies, as he had neglected them for so long.

"You were bored on every single day Teiko had a match for the nationals, these past few weeks?"

"Yeah."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

Momoi stiffened a little where she was standing. Haizaki simply tossed the can to the trash bin and groaned in fake exhaustion, rubbing his eyes as he cracked his neck. She had a hunch of why the gray-haired male visited every single one of their matches. At the thought, the grasp around her folder tightened as she looked down on the floor. What would happen if the Generation of Miracles forgot about Kuroko? Would she be able to leave the girl alone? _I'm never going to take advantage of her. I can't do that to Kuroko-chan._ Closing her pink eyes, she exhaled a sigh of determination.

"Haizaki-kun, why did you quit the team?"

"Hah?" The boy frowned at her, looking slightly irritated. Then he bit the inner part of his cheek and leaned back on the wall. "None of your business, Satsuki."

She bit down on her bottom lip. "Haizaki-kun, what are you going to do if Kuroko-chan gets left behind?" Haizaki gave her an extremely annoyed look, but Momoi went on. "You know what's going on right now. No, you should've _noticed_. Akashi-kun isn't the same- he's… he's odd. Even Dai-chan looks like…" _He looks like how he used to be, when his father passed away – when he was just the Aomine Daiki, a normal high schooler that had nothing to do with basketball._ "… He's not himself."

"All of you…" Haizaki grunted despondently. "Every one of you… Kuroko this, Kuroko that. Aomine's an idiot, but he'll manage. And Akashi is Akashi, odd or not. She won't be left behind. Besides, there's Atsushi, Ryouta, and Shintaro –"

"It's exactly because it's them." Momoi said through gritted teeth. "I don't want to see Kuroko-chan broken at the end of this. I… I have a really bad feeling about everything. The timing of when and where and how everything is going on is… it can't be a coincidence. You need to come back."

"And what are you – do you possess the power of clairvoyance? How do you know that that's all going to happen?" Haizaki retorted, and Momoi's back straightened a little at that.

She thought it was a cruel act of fate. Momoi Satsuki wasn't the dense, stupid, imperceptive kind of person – especially when it came to romantic affairs (Her own relationship matters weren't an exception). She could easily tell when Aomine had fallen in love with Kuroko, or when Akashi and Haizaki both fell in love with Kuroko as well.

Or when Kuroko herself had fallen in love with Aomine.

But the way everything was locking into one another – it did not fit. Nothing was going smoothly. The timing of when Aomine decided to trail away, or when Kuroko finally decided to like him back, or when Akashi was transforming into someone that Momoi didn't recognize – or when Haizaki had departed from the team.

"Do you have anything else you need to say? Because then I'm leaving." The male turned away from her, and shuffled through the empty hallway.

"Haizaki-kun?"

"Ugh, what now?"

"If anything happens, then can you stay by Kuroko-chan?"

Haizaki stared at her, as if she had gone insane. But Momoi's facial expression told him that she was nowhere to close jesting; in fact, he had never seen her any more serious that she was right now. "… I'll stay by her side even when nothing happens, idiot."

The pinkette smiled warmly at that, her shoulders relaxing as she giggled a little. "Haizaki-kun, you're secretly really sweet, do you know that?"

"Sweet, my ass."

* * *

Midorima Shintaro was in a downright pathetic mood.

He had forgotten to study for his biology quiz (he _never_ forgot to do anything until then, as a matter of fact), he had missed two, like, _two_ freaking three-pointers during morning practice (he _never_ missed, _ever_ ), and he had even completely ignored the papers he was supposed to fill out by this afternoon for the basketball club's training camp next year.

It was just terrific.

His mind was going places for several reasons. The first reason was Haizaki resigning from the team. Of course, Teiko had many replacements for a player like Haizaki. Ton of third years were prepared to take on the position as the small forward (although Kise ended up getting it anyway) and they continued to gain victory after victory, even after Haizaki's departure. But without doubt, Haizaki had more potential than others. It mystified Midorima why he had suddenly decided to quit the team, especially during this crucial moment as a second year.

It also disturbed him that Teiko was changing. Definitely, Midorima cared less about how the team was constructed as long as their victory was ensured. But he wasn't emotionless – he had silly memories that he enjoyed, as much as he hated to admit, and he felt slightly anxious at why the whole team was beginning to change – Akashi, Aomine, and even Kuroko.

Nothing could stay gold. Everything had to change at some point. Midorima knew that. His father, his mother, his sister, and him – then it was just the father, the sister, and him. Because nothing could stay the same, his mother had diminished from the surface of the world. He couldn't blame anyone. It was neither an unfortunate accident, nor any random death that was sudden and unexpected. It was bound to happen at some point, and it did. She was gone, and that was final.

Midorima Shintaro was afraid of change. He always preferred consistency. For things to remain as it was. And he knew that somewhere deep down, the strings of his heart were tugging at him – saying that he had to keep things as they used to be. To bring back Haizaki, to go to convenience stores with the other teammates, to convince Akashi that whatever is going on, it'll be alright – and for the Shadow and Light pair to come back to the spotlight.

"Useless." Midorima muttered under his breath, closing his locker as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

"What is?"

A lazy, monotone voice echoed, as the green-haired boy turned around with a glare. Murasakibara Atsushi was standing there, holding a maiubo in hand. "Mido-chin, you're weird."

"I'm not as weird as you are." Midorima snapped, and realized that Murasakibara might've been the only one that remained the same, ever since everything had begun.

"Hm… Mido-chin and Aka-chin… even Mine-chin. Why is everyone so serious nowadays…" Mumbling as he crunched on the snack, Murasakibara sluggishly walked at the same pace with Midorima. "It's no fun."

"I'm always serious."

"I guess you are."

Pregnant silence engulfed the vicinity. Midorima and Murasakibara's silences weren't awkward, but that didn't mean it was something comfortable or snuggly either. Rather, it was something around the lines of just the amount of time they spent together. They had grown used to each other, but they weren't friends or simple acquaintances.

When Midorima broke the silence, it was when both of them were on the bus. "Murasakibara, I have a favor."

"I don't really want to take any favors from you."

"Then never mind."

Murasakibara irked at that. "… I guess I can at least listen to what it is."

"If Akashi looks like he's going too far, then you stop him."

The purple-haired boy's grasp on the wrapper of the maiubo tightened a little as he heard that. "Why me?"

"Because among the current Generation of Miracles, you're the only one that is capable of beating some sense into Akashi, if he decides to go insane."

Brushing the crusts off his lap, Murasakibara spoke. "There's Mine-chin too. He's the ace."

"You and I know perfectly well that Aomine's been quit different the past few weeks. Kise doesn't know Akashi as well as we do, and Haizaki's not here to take the role for you. You are stronger than me in terms of power."

"Mido-chin is better with words."

"Sometimes words aren't enough."

Murasakibara's purple orbs shook a little at that. "Kuro-chin is here too. I thought Aka-chin was like that because of –"

"I do not know the exact causes of the reason behind Akashi's… peculiar behavior." In truth, he didn't even want to know. "We can't make Kuroko take on the role. You know that Akashi likes Kuroko, but Kuroko… well, I'm not the one to gossip, but she likes Aomine. Or at least, that's what it seemed like. It's unbeneficial for all sides if the situations turn out that way." Murasakibara was staring at him in disbelief. Midorima looked up, and repeated. "Stop Akashi, Murasakibara."

The doors of the vehicle opened, and Midorima stood up and left. Murasakibara sat there, putting his bag down on the empty seat where the shooting guard had just been, and merely gazed at the blurring scenery of the busy streets as he thought of what Midorima had said. He closed his eyes, and just mumbled.

"Easy for you to say, Mido-chin."

* * *

 **A/N: We're about halfway through the story…**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I hope you guys don't care that I mixed up the scenes from the anime and manga, as well as who they compete against. If you do care, I'm sorry – there's nothing I'm going to change.**

 **Also, I've been getting many reviews considering the main pairing – you'll get to know it in the second book, the sequel of this one. I have no plans of changing it, so that's that.**

 **I'll focus on some specific characters, so I apologize if I don't include a fair share of all the viewpoints of the other characters.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

" _I was afraid she was going to break. Because I was afraid, I always wanted to be by her side."_

"Tomo-chan, Ryouta, did you see my slacks? Like, the black ones?"

"I saw the blue ones."

"As if that helps anything."

Kise stared at his phone with a blank expression. He had absolutely nothing to do. It was a typical weekend, where he would end up spending his time by either practicing basketball, or rolling around the whole house. For that particular day, he chose the latter – because practice was cancelled, too.

"Nade, just wear the blue ones – I bet Eguchi wouldn't mind."

Kanade gave her sister a deadly glare. "No."

"Great, you're making everything more complicated for yourself."

Kise Kanade huffed, as she pulled Kise Ryouta by his collar and dragged him around the house, forcing him to look for the piece of clothing as well. "I'm sure they were somewhere… here? No, those are my shorts- Ryouta, can you at least make an effort to look like you're searching for my slacks?"

"What? Oh, sorry. I was… distracted." Kise looked away, as his sister shook his head and just returned to search for her slacks. There was a reasonable cause for his constant distraction. Teiko's practice session was suddenly cancelled an hour ago, as Akashi sent a group message to all the members. The reason was uninformed, and there was only the word that practice was cancelled and done for. This was extremely questionable, as they had an important match right up ahead. Although their victory was firmly assured, Teiko took precautions.

It appeared that some people had asked Akashi about the matter, but the said captain also did not know why. The topic grew bigger and bigger as the coaches had nothing to say.

"Are you serious? Midorimacchi, I thought _you'd_ know!" The model exclaimed over the receiver.

" _Don't expect me to know something that Akashi doesn't. In case you are unaware, the captain receives all the information first, who passes it onto the vice captain. It's common sense, Kise."_

"But…" Kise wanted to protest, but stopped himself.

" _I understand that you are frustrated – I am, too. But there is nothing we can do about it. Just wait for information to be updated. I'll constantly check on Akashi, if he has anything else to say."_

"Alright. Thanks."

" _You're welcome."_

The call ended, as Kise put his phone down. Normally, no ordinary club would make this much of a fuss about just practice being cancelled – but things were totally different when it came to Teiko's basketball club. Never in their history ever since the club was founded, had practice ever been cancelled for no reason.

 _Well, we just made history._ Kise clucked his tongue, leaning on the wall. He had practically called almost everyone on first string, and none of the members knew what was happening. He did everything he could possibly do, and now the only option he had was to wait for further updates, like Midorima said.

"Nee-chan, I'll take a stroll outside."

"Yeah, yeah."

Kise closed the door and looked up to see the sky that was slowly turning bright orange. He decided it was better to feed his boredom by going outside and breathing in some fresh air, rather than staying indoors. He was more of a extrovert, after all.

Walking past the convenience store, Kise stopped in his tracks and stared nostalgically at the small building. He reminded himself of the times when he used to work there – the truly depressing times where he had felt so alone, so desolate. It was Kuroko that had approached him to become a more energetic person – and that's when he realized that he could finally remove his rotting façade. The feelings he had felt during those moments might've been love – but it soon diminished and transformed into an emotion that was somewhat closer to respect.

She was his Light. Not in a romantic way, but in the savior kind. Her light rescued him, and he was walking a safer path. Kise Ryouta was grateful for everything she had done for his happiness. She may have never realized it, but that didn't matter.

Despite what others perceived, the blonde wasn't as dense as he behaved. He noticed. She was changing. Albeit the fact that she appeared stoic by nature, that wasn't what was off. Kise couldn't quite grasp what it was – but she was different. Aomine was different. Akashi was different. Perhaps he was, too.

 _Crash!_

"Whoa, sorry –" Kise paused, as she bumped into someone while he was daydreaming. But then his face instinctively twisted into a scowl of discomfort at the sight he caught.

There was a girl – a girl he disliked. Her name was Enomoto Rina – she proclaimed that he was her "boyfriend" in front of the whole school, ignoring Kise's cries of denial. But then they soon grew distant, as she seemed to have grown evidently bored of him. Next to her was Haizaki, who looked extremely unentertained. His expression showed a hint of interest when he spotted Kise.

"Ara, isn't it Kise-kun?" Rina smiled, and Kise pulled back his urge to gag. "Shogo, this is my ex-boyfriend. Kise-kun, Haizaki-kun is currently my boyfriend. He's so cool, don't you think?"

 _I could care less._ That's what the blonde wanted to say, but he restrained his inner desires. "I guess." Then he looked at Haizaki. The last time he saw him, he was pretty certain that Haizaki had a crush on Kuroko. "Long time no see, Haizaki-kun."

"Uh huh." The male responded, yawning soon after. "How's the small forward position going?"

"It's awesome." Kise admitted, as he went on. "Thanks for giving me the position."

"No need." Haizaki smirked, as Rina started to tug on his sleeve, because she had no idea what they were talking about. Kise could easily tell that Haizaki was annoyed the hell out, but didn't say anything. "I get it, Enomoto. Let's go. See you later, Ryouta."

For the first time, Kise pitied Haizaki.

* * *

A few days later, the whole team of the Teiko basketball club gathered in the first string gym. Coach Sanada was standing in front of all the members, his expression solemn, and both hands behind his back. He had circles under his eyes – and everyone started talking about the reason why the main coach wasn't to be seen.

Akashi cleared his throat, and raised his voice. "All attention to coach Sanada!" The whole gymnasium went silent at the rare bellow of the captain, who looked as serious as the substitute coach.

Coach Sanada looked as if he was unable to lift his face. He was simply staring at his feet for a very long time, as the team waited for the man to speak. Something wasn't right – that's what all of them could sense. When the coach finally opened his mouth to speak, his lips dry and his voice cracking, it was ten minutes after Akashi had gathered their attention.

"… Coach Shirogane collapsed two days prior."

Numbers of eyes widened in pure shock and panic, even the Generation of Miracles looking startled by the sudden news. The coach went on.

"I know this is an extremely critical moment for all of you. This is the last national competition you seniors will be participating in, and despite the fact that we are known as the invincible school; the quality of our training will affect our results greatly." The third years looked crestfallen as they listened. "It would be impossible for me to replace the gap created by Coach Shirogane's absence. But considering the current situation and his condition, it'd be futile to hope that he'd ever be able to return to the team – ever."

The vicinity was so soundless that you could hear the slightest noise of soft breathing. "We'll follow our previous practice routines. Nothing will be altered, until coach Shirogane is conscious again to give any additional orders. Dismissed!"

Nobody seemed fully satisfied at the announcement. Practice was completed without anyone uttering a single syllable. Only the rhythmic yet melancholy intonations of basketballs were audible, as well as the oddly nervous squeaks of rubber sneakers against the rough floor. Pants of frustration and concern buzzed throughout the gym, and nobody looked joyful in the slightest.

Hopeless – that was the perfect word to describe the situation of the team. Not hopeless in terms of their possibility of victory, but truly hopeless in terms of emotion. Even the most eccentric players that loved to stand out every single second remained stoic, their dunks ordinary and all shoots done without particular strength or grace.

"Akashi, are we…" Midorima gulped, as they walked back to the gym. "Are we doing the correct thing as the leaders of the team? Are we fulfilling our duties like we promised? If the team breaks apart, then –"

"That won't be happening. Not under my control." Akashi mumbled, as he packed his belongings, getting ready to go home. "Teiko will remain absolute. We cannot afford to change right now."

 _It already has changed, Akashi._ Midorima thought bitterly. Today's announcement made everything crystal clear – he had to accept the simple, dire fact that everything had changed. "I agree." His response was dull and lifeless. His conversation was Murasakibara was vague, although it was only about a week ago. It was such a simple will, but even that was vanishing into thin air.

On the other hand, Murasakibara wasn't expressing any emotion in particular. It was the bold truth that the purple-haired male never really showed his emotions except when he was around certain people, but at the moment, he was completely expressionless. His face displayed his disinterest for his surroundings, and the only thing he ever did was run – and run endlessly.

Kise wasn't bothering to start up an energetic conversation with anyone. He was concentrating on practicing his own moves, just to distract himself from the news. Anything would do if he could forget what had just happened. Aomine was nowhere to be seen, and Kuroko was just dribbling a ball in the corner. Her eyes looked aimless, but her body was moving, as if it functioned solely on muscle memory.

Several seniors were muttering in hushed tones, their voices filled with concern. "Why at a time like this, when it's our last year here…"

"Will things go smoothly under coach Sanada's control?"

"Well, he was in charge of other strings…"

Kuroko didn't bother to catch the ball that bounced back into the air. She left it to fall back on the floor, staring at it as it rolled past several second years, that looked too occupied to even throw it back in her direction. Just when she was about to walk and grab it, Akashi appeared in front of her and picked it up. "Kuroko, are you alright?"

She blinked, finally coming back to her senses. "… Oh, yes. I'm fine."

The male looked slightly hesitant, as he didn't let go his grip on the ball. His red eyes wavered dangerously, his fingers tightening around the rubbery surface. Kuroko frowned in confusion, tilting her head to the side. "Akashi-kun?"

The red head looked up, and forced a small smile as his lips curled up. "Sorry, I dazed off. Here you go." He threw the ball into her hands, and quickly turned as he jogged towards the other hoop. Kuroko stared at his back for a while, trying to comprehend the meaning behind Akashi's reluctant silence. She could feel that Akashi was so close, yet so distant from where she was standing.

Just at that moment, Aomine kicked open the double doors and entered again. His face was plastered with an unpleasant scowl, and his hands were stuffed stubbornly inside his pockets. Nobody cared to give a second glance at him, as they were all too focused on what they were working on. The ganguro simply picked up his bag in the corner, and left again.

Kuroko, who just watched all this, opened her mouth to speak. "Um, Aomine-kun?"

He reacted by turning around, sending her a dull glance. The teal-haired girl felt her chest clench, as she grasped the hem of her shirt awkwardly. Was she always this paranoid around Aomine? "Let's… do well tomorrow."

Aomine stood there for a while, staring at her, as if in thought. "… Yeah." He said after a few long seconds. Then he didn't bother to say anything else as he departed the gym. All the other Generation of Miracles spotted this particular scene, but none of them could step up to comfort the female. Kuroko just stood there for a while, until she turned on her heels and slowly made her way towards the bench.

It was pretty dark when practice ended. The female never noticed that she had been naturally going home alone the past few days – there was no Aomine, nor Kise. The pitch-black night sky seemed to be picturing her emptiness, as it had nothing but the color black.

"Kuro-chin?" A familiar voice echoed in the dark. Kuroko immediately recognized that it was Murasakibara Atsushi.

"Murasakibara-kun?" She tried to lighten up her voice, attempting to conceal her depression. "That's rare, to see you here. Isn't your house the opposite direction?"

The giant scratched the back of his head. "One of my brothers asked me to buy them some snacks, and we don't have a convenience store near our house." Then he paused, as he scanned Kuroko's whole body, as if he was encountering a total stranger. The girl reminded herself of how Murasakibara acted when he had first met her. "Kuro-chin, you shouldn't be going home alone this late. At least have Kise-chin accompany you or something."

"It's fine, really." It was odd to have somebody like Murasakibara concerned for her. It wasn't an insult, but she was starting to realize how things were beginning to transform. Murasakibara was right – not in the kind of sense that she shouldn't be walking alone, but that she had nobody to really accompany her anymore. "Aomine-kun used to walk me home, but he seems really… well, I bet he has his own problems to take care of. He was really disappointed when he heard that the coach collapsed – coach Shirogane liked him so much, too."

Murasakibara nodded, but didn't say anything else. Kuroko went on, not wanting there to be silence. She felt like if there were any form of silence in between, her mood would only worsen. "Aomine-kun had really been on fleeting feat nowadays. His skill has improved so much, compared to his first year in Teiko. It's amazing to witness something like that in real life, to be honest."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Remember, last month when we had a match against Yoneya? Out of the two hundred points we scored, Aomine-kun did like half of them. I –"

"Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara stopped walking, his hands no longer in his grasping the strap of his bag. The girl went on, her voice was shaking, and her fingers trembled, but she went on.

"I never scored a point then, too. I really wanted to make that shot, but it missed by a few close centimeters. Aomine-kun just –"

"Kuro-chin, stop it." The purple head urged, grabbing her left shoulder. But Kuroko kept talking, to the point where she didn't even know what she was supposed to be saying. Her words got choked up in her own throat, that she couldn't even form proper sentences. "Tetsuya, please." He never called her by her first name before, ever since they met. But he was desperate to somehow get her attention.

The girl was on the verge of breaking down. Murasakibara was fearful. He had always been aware of Kuroko's condition worsening as days passed, her mental state evidently growing weaker. And because he didn't want her to break, he tried to glue her close together. But the glue wasn't showing any particular effect anymore, and was wearing off.

Kuroko looked like she was about to suffer a seizure, but then soon relaxed. She clutched on Murasakibara's jacket, and stayed like that for about two minutes. Murasakibara didn't do anything. More like he couldn't. He wasn't used to people like Kuroko, and he didn't know how comfort those in denial.

"Why can't you just…" _Why can't you just stop loving Mine-chin?_ He really wanted to ask for the reason why – the inquiry seemed necessary. But he couldn't bring himself to put the words into reality, as the girl looked so unstable, that if she heard the name 'Aomine Daiki' she would just shatter into a million pieces. All he could do was let her clutch his shirt for however long, and nothing else.

He couldn't do anything else.

* * *

That weekend, the final match of the nationals begun.

On the way to the stadium, a little more chitchat occurred than previous days. Some first years were pretty hyped about being bench players, talking about being prepared for they didn't know when they would be able to participate. But the chances were very thin, as Teiko almost never required for an exchange in members ever since the Generation of Miracles and Kuroko took possession of the starting lineup.

The girl looked outside, until her phone suddenly beeped, informing her of the new notification. She looked at the screen, and her eyes widened with a little energy as she saw what it was.

It was Ogiwara Shigehiro.

She swiftly opened the message he sent, and skimmed through the long text.

 _From: Ogiwara Shigehiro_

 _To: Me_

 _Subject: Hey!_

 _Hey! Long time no see, Tetsuya! How are you doing? I heard that your school made it to the final match of the nationals? Great work, I knew you would make it! I heard that your school has this Generation of Miracles, right? And you play as the Phantom Sixth Man? Well, you're a girl so does it change to woman? I have no idea._

 _My school almost made it, but we lost very closely against Kamata West. Man, they had these twin players that were really strong, you know? I did a really cool dunk, too. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise this year (again, lol) but I'll definitely make it next year!_

 _Anyway, good luck with your final match!_

Kuroko smiled. She could almost feel the warmth of her old friend. He was always a friendly guy that knew how to make people laugh, no matter what sort of mood they were in. She really liked Ogiwara's personality, that way. A little more hyped, Kuroko tapped her fingers on her lap with anticipation that she had never felt in weeks.

Just when they were in traffic, five minutes away from their destination, Kuroko caught sight of a familiar face.

"Haizaki-kun…?" She whispered, but then saw him with another girl that she didn't recognize. Kuroko stared at them for a while – they looked nice together. The male wasn't exactly smiling, but that was just his nature. The bus started moving again, and Haizaki got further away from her vision.

The stadium was the same as always – gigantic. A lot of people were standing around and holding random fliers, probably parents and friends that came to cheer their friends on. Kuroko's parents never came to see, as they were busy with their work overseas all the time. She saw a few people that resembled some of her friends very much – like two blonde girls that were getting hit on by a group of men, or a towering crowd of purple-haired males and one average-sized female.

Inside the stadium, the seats were still quite empty. The only seats that were taken were because of the different schools that came to see the match. Kamata West was practicing ahead of them, the renowned twins shining amidst the crowd.

For once, Aomine looked a little itchy to be on the court. His dull eyes possessed a glint he always used to wear during his freshmen year. The female couldn't help but feel a little bit delighted along with him. Perhaps, they would succeed in their reconciliation after their match.

All the Generation of Miracles looked like they were in great condition. Their faces were lit brightly – Kuroko could tell that they were also looking forward to the match. This was rare, because most of them would usually remain dark, sitting on the benches or stretching, not feeling the need to practice a few minutes beforehand. But that day they were practicing shoots and dribbles and various drives. The shadow took this as a good sign.

The twins of Kamata West approached Akashi. "Hey, nice to meet you. Hope we have a great match together." One of them extended their hand, and the red head grinned as well.

"We are looking forward to this match. I hope we'll be able to go all out on each other."

The younger twin laughed (or at least, Kuroko assumed he was the younger twin) and spoke. "It'd be quite challenging for us to win if we don't go all out on you guys. You're the Generation of Miracles!"

"I suppose." Akashi nodded, as he resumed to his practice session as well.

Just a few minutes prior to the match, coach Sanada gathered the starting lineup members. "I saw you all stretching earlier, so I guess I won't need to talk about that. Regarding your performance on the court, however you do it doesn't really matter – just do it like you guys always do. As long as you present victory, everything will be accepted. Don't give them a chance to score."

Kuroko winced a little at the speech, but didn't complain. It was Teiko's long kept motto – that nothing other than victory would be accepted as a result. The Generation of Miracles have done exactly so, and no other junior high has managed to break their records. Coach Sanada was expecting absolute perfection from all of them.

"Understood, coach!" They said in unison, as they all stepped on court.

The tension between the two teams remained tight, as the ball flew into the air. Murasakibara was the first one to touch it, as he passed it to Midorima. They started off with a easy three-pointer that immediately changed the momentum to Teiko's side. Kuroko started running; feeling the fresh air of the stadium hit her face. The twins of Kamata West looked like they were concentrated as well, as they moved in sync with one another.

 _It'll be different this time._ Kuroko thought firmly. _It'd be just like when we first started playing, where every point mattered._ She passed the ball that flew in her direction towards Akashi. The captain was elegant with his moves, thinking ahead of every step he took. The point gap started to widen.

The whistle blew a few minutes later, signaling that the first half was done. The point still showed an even difference – it was 30 to 24. All the Generation of Miracles seemed impressed on how the twins were scoring so well, despite having five of them while they had two starring members. Aomine grinned with pure bliss – he was definitely enjoying himself.

"Man, they're tough." The younger twin mumbled to his brother.

"We can still catch up. Don't stop moving." The older one replied, as they ran again. Kuroko just played her role in the shadows, acting as the silent sixth man that Kamata West scarcely ever noticed.

A few minutes into the third quarter, situations started turning for the worse. The point gap widened by ten points, then fifteen. More pants were being heard from the side of Kamata West, and their eyes displayed exhaustion and signs of giving up. Aomine's eyes started to shake again, looking uncertain as he shot a two pointer under the hoop. The defenders were beginning to falter, and not a lot of forwards came to score as well.

 _No. Please._ Kuroko implored, hoping her wishes would reach the players on the opposing team. But the more she seemed to beg, the more hopeless the players looked. Even the energetic twins were losing their energy, their arms drooping with pain. The Generation of Miracles noticed this, and also started to return to their original selves – and they just kind of moved around the court and began to score.

When the game ended, the point gap was forty points. The twins didn't turn back to give them a second glance. They had easily accepted their defeat – that it was all over. Kuroko's heart fell to the ground. When she saw Aomine in the corner, his boring expression was back, as he picked up a bottle of water and made his way to the locker rooms.

"Aomine-kun?" She called out, but he didn't look back. She spoke a little louder. "Aomine-kun?"

This time, he turned to look at her. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to act in front of the male anymore. What were they now? "… Are you still waiting?" Her words seemed to be left hanging in the air, as Aomine stared at her with a blank expression.

"… What?" He replied, as Kuroko's eyes widened in shock. But they returned to their normal size again, as Kuroko's vision headed towards the ground.

"Nothing."

When she finally arrived, he was no longer there.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey, guys! It's absolutely… fantastic over here for me. I have started my first year of high school as a freshman with my friend, CaptainRainbowSama. More assignments, more pressure, and more responsibility – all that forced me to repel from fanfic works for a while.**

 **Anyway, please enjoy this update!**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

" _I'm sorry that I presented you so much pain. But it's all over now. You're free – and I'll take the role as the prisoner in your place. I'm sorry."_

"Let's break up."

Haizaki said that for the twelfth time that month. The crestfallen expression of girls weren't his favorite sight, but he had no alternative to take. He would've taken another route if given, definitely, but he wasn't given one.

"But why? We were doing so well until yesterday…"

There it was. The quivering lips, the hand placed carefully on the chest, grasping the shirt as the thin legs just trembled underneath.

"Sorry. I think this just won't work out."

"… Do you have somebody else you're interested in?"

"No, it's just… we're not for one another."

The breakup itself was pretty easy to tolerate. Sometimes the girl would bawl, and if Haizaki was in a good mood, then he played along and tried to comfort her – if not, he just mumbled a second apology and walked away to school or home.

It was his desperate effort to forget. Unbridled ambition, greed, and determination brought nothing but desolate emptiness. He possessed a bombast personality, and did not concern himself with others' business. Haizaki Shogo was just that kind of guy – the bastard, the jerk, the gaudy troublemaker that was known as the heartbreaker of girls and the deadly enemy of pure, unrivaled love.

Kuroko Tetsuya was the solitary fascination of his life for the past year. She was his happiness and bliss, although unknown to her. He indulged in the invisible of actions just to spend time trying to make her even cheerier than she was. It didn't matter whether that involved the other Generation of Miracles – it really didn't matter to him.

Haizaki considered this feeling as a fatal mistake – a miscalculation he should've thought through thoroughly millions of times beforehand. Thanks to her, his daily schedule was never the same. Even after "putting an end" to their relationship, Haizaki continuously paid the first gymnasium of the basketball club visits. The gym itself was restless, filled with movement – but the ambience felt like everyone in their was dead, soulless. It was devastating that among that disastrous fog, he couldn't feel Kuroko's light at all. She had completely blended in – she wasn't the Light anymore.

He was pretty sure he had untied the tangled knot. He had undone all the ties he had with the Generation of Miracles and Kuroko. Yet he kept on finding himself searching for them again, going back to the Tokyo National Stadium as they held their National competition.

Just like that, winter was here again. Their second year of Junior High was ending, and everything was beginning to fall apart. The wall they had built up to perfection was breaking down – even if Haizaki hadn't taken part in the construction.

"Shogo, be a nice son and get some tofu and chicken breast from the super market, will you?" Haizaki put down the magazine he was reading at his mom's call, and then grunted.

"But what about Hasaya?"

"Hasaya's out, you dumbass."

"But it's a _Saturday._ "

"Yes, exactly. Your brother decided to hang out with his friends and enjoy something called a "Life" outside of gravure magazines. Now get your lazy bum off the floor and go get those ingredients." His mother slammed the spatula into the side of his head, as the male rolled his eyes and stood up, putting on his faded green hoodie.

It was drizzling outside, but looking at how pitch-black the sky was turning, Haizaki assumed it was going to pour pretty soon. He grabbed an umbrella from the counter and wriggled his toes through the tight sneakers. "'M going."

The sight of people hustling around put him at odd ease for no particular reason. He was suddenly aware of every single detail of his surroundings, like the wet smell of the rainwater, or the offbeat blinking of the cross lights, or the rubbery squeaks of boots and shoes clashing with the cement – it all sounded so real, so… full of life.

On days like these, bad things occurred. At least, that seemed to be the incessant tendency. It was almost as if his animalistic instincts were sending signals to the body – that he had to avoid whatever was coming afterward as soon as possible, faster than the speed of light.

"Haizaki-kun?"

And there it was. Haizaki wondered why he didn't practice running at the speed of light during all those morning sessions of basketball.

He turned around in disbelief, a couple passing his view next to him as he tried to fixate his stare on the source of the sound. There was Kuroko Tetsuya, the girl that was messing up his life in the most hardcore fashion ever.

"Shit." He mumbled, as Kuroko raised an eyebrow.

"Well, that's a nice greeting."

Ridicule first took over his mind, but then after about a millisecond, he reverted to his cynical self. It was relieving that Kuroko seemed normal in comparison to how she appeared to be in the gym, even if she was faking it.

"Sorry. Thought you were this supernatural existence or something. I was seriously convinced that I was chosen to go to Hogwarts."

The girl snorted at his nonsensical excuse. Haizaki could only thank his mom for presenting him a sense of humor. They started walking, as they just happened to be going to same direction. "So…" Haizaki began, awkward. "I heard you won the nationals?"

He didn't miss the split moment of dullness in Kuroko's delightful eyes. "It's a natural thing." The way she shrugged the topic off almost pained Haizaki. It seemed like she had lost all passion whatsoever for basketball. He decided it was an unfitting timing to mention that she wasn't even in the starting lineup.

"I guess. I mean, we're Teiko." That's all he could think of as a response.

He thought he saw Kuroko's lips move very quietly at that moment, and blinked. "What?"

"Nothing." The girl smiled, brushing it away. "Anyway, how have you been these past few months?"

 _Terrible. Mortified. Absorbed into an abyss where the darkness was you, and where you were the darkness. Absolutely horrifying, unforgettable, yet pleasurable at the same time._ "Fine. Just shitty."

"Did you join a new club?"

Haizaki rolled his eyes. "As if. It's an incredulous fact that stands by itself, considering that I've ever joined a club. And I quit it. So it doesn't matter anymore."

None of them mentioned how they broke apart previously. The hug, the words. Now they were really just students from the same school that just happened to meet one another on the way to the local super market. Haizaki was the troublemaker, and Kuroko was the girl in the basketball that was invisible to everyone. It was better off that way.

The auto doors opened as they stepped on the mat in front. "So, how's the other idiots?"

Kuroko threw him an anxious look, as Haizaki clarified the meaning of 'idiots'. "You know, Daiki and such." He internally cursed as he saw Kuroko's fingers curl into her palms, her eyes filled with grief that was yet to be overcome, and her shoulders hunched. Man, this girl sucked at hiding her feelings. He had obviously touched a sensitive spot. "… Sorry, you don't need to –"

"They're fine." She cut him off. Haizaki grabbed a packet of chilled tofu from the fridge, not saying another word. Kuroko reached for a frozen milkshake (vanilla flavored) and just stared into it.

The last thing he wanted to do was corner her into an uncomfortable disposition. "Oh." But that was all he could say. Really, he had no choice. Despite the fact that he practically stalked her all around the past year, he didn't know much about her. And he doubted that Kuroko knew anything about him, too.

He then realized that she was literally scooping at least five vanilla milkshakes at once into her basket. _Who ever devours that many milkshakes of the same flavor, anyway?_ "Uh, is that for your family?"

"Oh, no. It's all for me." He didn't even know where to start – the fact that at least fifteen milkshakes were all for the girl, or that it was all the same flavor- Lord, he wasn't even into sweet things. **(A/N: Just saying, I am assuming this. It doesn't say anywhere officially that Haizaki dislikes sweet things.)**

"… I guess you're really into it."

She beamed, proud. "Yes, I am. Do you have a flavor you like in particular?"

"Uh…" _Shit. How do I say that I don't like milkshakes without starting a World War 3?_ "… I like soda flavored ones."

Her nose crinkled playfully at that. "I can't drink carbonated beverages."

"Serious? Shame on you."

Haizaki reached for the plastic box with chicken breast in the freezer, as they continued walking towards the cashier. The comfortable air began between them, as they casually conversed about everyday stuff. Grades, books, movies, food, birthdays, zodiacs, all those useless and unnecessary information that one never really needed. But even amongst all that impractical topics, Haizaki was extremely cautious to never bring up the Generation of Miracles or anything basketball related at all costs.

As the male expected, it was pouring outside. He sighed. "Fucking rain."

"I didn't bring an umbrella." Kuroko mumbled, as her eyes wavered. "I guess I'll take a shower at home after I dash through."

Haizaki took out his umbrella. "How did you not know it was gonna pour? You're pathetic."

The female huffed, looking offended. "It was sunny when I came in, alright?"

"Whatever. How far is your house?" They took a single step towards the auto doors as they opened.

"About ten minutes away. But I can just buy my own umbrella –"

"I'll take you. Easy."

"But –"

"What, don't you wanna save some money? Umbrellas aren't that cheap here, you know. Take up the offer while you can."

Kuroko hesitated for a few seconds, but eventually hopped beneath the umbrella. "Thank you, Haizaki-kun." Her small smile was enough to make Haizaki avert his attention in embarrassment. God, he was helpless. Was this that awful demon called puberty?

She led the way, and he merely followed her tracks. He made sure he kept his distance so that other people won't misunderstand their trivial relationship for something more than it actually was. They took many turns and curves, passing by fields and rivers. He supposed it was about fifteen minutes from his house, but he didn't really care. It felt nice to walk alongside someone he liked.

"It's here. Thanks for walking me." She stopped in front of an apartment. "If you want, you can come in until the rain stops. My parents and grandmother is inside, so I can get you some tea and snacks, as a gratitude for the safe journey."

He really wanted to, but his mom was probably waiting at home. For fuck's sake, parents sometimes ruined everything. "Sorry. Mom's waiting for this." He glanced at the plastic bag with the ingredients. Kuroko nodded.

"Then you can come over later – maybe I should treat you to a soda milkshake?" She suggested, and Haizaki smirked, turning away, facing the empty street.

"Sounds good."

Even if it was something so minor as buying a milkshake, Haizaki was fine – as long as he got to be with her somehow.

* * *

Days after that rainy event was pretty much the same. When practice ended, Kuroko met up with Haizaki in front of the gate, and they would head to Maji Burger. She would often admonish him for buying too much food, but they laughed over the matter in seconds. Originally, the thing where him liking soda milkshakes was supposed to be a lie made up at the spot – but he grew to favor them over other drinks as time went by.

Their conversations consisted of the same overall material and structure that was just worded differently. Usually it was about how their day was, and what was good or bad, what sucked about this quiz and what was awesome about that class. Kuroko never began anything about basketball and club activities, and Haizaki never asked. It was almost like a silent rule amongst both of them – because then that would break their solid, rectified relationship as the normal, ordinary friends – Haizaki Shogo, the troublemaker of the school, and Kuroko Tetsuya, the invisible girl of the grade.

It was better off that way.

Haizaki wished it had stayed in that mannerism. Carefree, amicable, blithe, and enlightening – he wished it stayed in that mannerism. But that day was somehow different. Kuroko spoke differently, (with more heaviness, sadness, a lower tone, impassionate voice, dull words, missing syllables) looked differently, (a short, cautious glance, teal eyes with no glint, an iris with no focus) behaved differently (didn't order a milkshake, hands moved too often, legs crossing and uncrossing, fingers squirming under a weak grip, feet tapping impatiently on the tiled floor) – everything about her was different.

"Tetsuya?" He grunted. She didn't look up. "Tetsuya, are you listening?"

"What? Oh, yes. What were you saying?" Her lips were dry. Her fingernails had an uneven end, like she was biting on it for quite a while. "I wasn't paying attention."

Haizaki sipped his milkshake. "I can see that. Rude."

"Sorry." That was all she said, before staring into her lap again. Now, it was either that she found her lap just that interesting, or that something was wrong. Haizaki went with the second one.

"Look. Let's go. It's getting late." Flinging his bag over his shoulder, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her outside, forgetting to clean their trays.

"But it's only five-thirty, Haizaki-kun –"

"Let's just go, okay? You're acting all shitty today and I don't like that." Haizaki Shogo didn't know how to comfort a girl. He definitely didn't know how to indirectly approach her and make her speak up. In fact, he wasn't even certain whether she trusted him that much in the first place. He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't – he was a teenage boy that struggled with everything school-related, was a playboy that toyed with girls, and she was just a normal girl without presence, and also the phantom sixth man of the basketball club. The difference and personality gap just explained everything.

"I am not acting all weird." Kuroko refrained from using the word he used.

"I'm not an idiot, Tetsuya. You'll go home, and I'll go home. Cool your head off and clear whatever is in your mind, and we can catch up on the conversation we were having tomorrow." He was skeptical that she even knew what the conversation was about since she was daydreaming off into space the whole time, but he didn't care.

Her eyes widened a little, as Haizaki loosened the grip on her wrist. "… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I mean, you're a teenager and the puberty truck hit you. I get it." He received a punch in the stomach as a response, as he coughed. "What the hell was that, Tetsuya?" The female pouted, stomping her foot on the bricked floor.

"You deserved that."

"I did not."

"Did too."

"Fuck, did not."

"Did too."

Their petty argument went on for a while, until Kuroko's expression darkened a little. Haizaki mentally panicked, wondering if he should've just given in. But her words were quite not what he had expected. "I'm really sorry for causing you all this trouble, Haizaki-kun."

"What's this about? The punch? The fact that you ignored me the whole day today? It's fine, really. I don't care." He really didn't. Haizaki was simply playing along because he desired all this.

"No, about how you hung around with me this past month. It's really nice of you."

 _Great, she knew?_ "… Doesn't matter, really. You just looked lonely, and I was bored. It's a coincidence." It really wasn't, but whatever.

"I still want to thank you, though. I guess… I was just really down for the past few weeks. Concerning basketball, club activities, and… I don't know. I'm glad that Haizaki-kun was here. It was very comforting." Hearing that relieved Haizaki. At least all those weeks he had put in some much effort into wasn't completely a waste.

He remained silent for about six seconds. He didn't want to mess up this mood with his careless word choice. "… Really, like I keep saying, it's fine." Kuroko gazed at his face for a while, as if trying to determine whether he was speaking of the truth or not. He said his next sentence a little softer. "Do you want to talk about it or something?"

"… Pardon?" Kuroko blinked, as if she doubted her ears. In which she probably did.

"I mean, I'm not the best listener or advisor or shit, but I usually give it a try. It's up to you, and I'm not gonna beat the truth out of you or anything. I just… I'm just trying to be nice." Even he found it amusing how the word 'nice' and him just didn't seem to fit in the same sentence.

But Kuroko smiled, just a little. "Thank you." She gave it a short pause. "The truth is, I was rejected by Aomine-kun a few weeks prior."

"You were fucking _what_ now?" His voice went up a notch, as Kuroko's shoulders hunched in shame. Haizaki then finally processed the words, and cleared his throat. "… I mean, oh. I thought he confessed to you? Or whatnot?"

Her smile that came next was definitely not a happy one. It was empty, it was forced, it was nothing. "I don't know. I guess he forgot about it. I was never his type in the first place."

 _Yeah, you aren't exactly my type either, but look at me now._ Haizaki ran his fingers through his head, troubled. He had no idea why Aomine turned Kuroko down. "Did he say it face-to-face or something? By text? Through someone else on the team?"

"No," She winced, "he just… forgot about everything."

He simply couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Tetsuya, one does not just _forget_ that fact that they liked someone."

"That's what I thought initially, too." Her face was too pitiful to see. The way she was biting down on her lower lip, the trembling hands that was clutching her own uniform, and the fact that she had nobody to rely on. "But it happened."

Haizaki didn't know what to say next. Anger boiled inside of him that Aomine had simply 'forgotten' about the fact that he had confessed to Kuroko. He promised that he would wait – Haizaki was there, witnessing every single scene, being torn inside out. But now, he was gone. Gone, from the station where he was supposed to be waiting. He left, just like that. He left the girl behind, and now she was alone.

Haizaki didn't like any of that. He didn't like it one bit.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him." Whispering under his breath, Haizaki tried his best not to punch a person nearby. Luckily, Kuroko didn't heed his words.

"Haizaki-kun, I…" His divided attention instantly gathered upon the call of his name. "What do I do if…" She trailed off. "If…" It was not going well for her – even Haizaki could read between the lines that much. He could see that the tears were welling up in her eyes, and that something had definitely happened after that. He blamed himself for not possessing the power to magically know how someone felt.

"Don't tell me." It was torture for him to see her like this. So broken, so uncharacteristic. This wasn't the same girl he had fallen heads over heels for a year ago. This was just… a shattered person, and the shards were scattered all over the place, impossible for repair. He wrapped his arms around her head, and pulled her into a warm, comforting embrace. This was not the same as the one he had given her the previous time, when they parted ways. This was just an affectionate way of displaying his unknown love to the girl – it was his concern, his feelings, all that he could do. "Don't force yourself to tell me a fucking thing, Tetsuya. It's fine."

He knew that the waterfall opened when he felt his upper abdomen dampening. She didn't make a sound, as if she was holding in all the pent up feelings. The gray-haired boy only held her tighter, ignoring the suspicious glances of others.

"I'm sorry." Her muffled cry just made his eyes close in thought.

"Don't be." He said.

But she just said it over and over again – and Haizaki was not unsure whether these words of perennial apology were directed towards him, or Aomine Daiki. Either way, there was nothing he could do at this moment but hold her like this, giving her the smallest barrier of safety – providing her with seamless haven she deserved.

"I'm sorry."

"I know, Tetsuya. I know."

He only wished this could just end – that this was all a nightmare.

But it wasn't.

* * *

 **(This takes place during the practice before Kuroko met Haizaki, in the section above.)**

That morning was unpleasant. Akashi Seijuro was a morning person, but that morning was ridiculously disturbing. Weird, because it was the clearest sky he had ever seen. Maybe that was why it was so unpleasant. He was never a great fan of clear skies.

But his day was the same. School, classes, and then practice. Dull members, and a dull coach. Nobody was there to lighten up the mood, and Akashi wasn't going to take up that role.

"Hey, did you notice?" Kise poked in, dribbling a ball across the court. "I saw Kurokocchi with Haizaki-kun the other day at Maji Burger. They seemed to be having a lot of fun."

For some reason, that set off Akashi. Maybe it was because it was Haizaki, out of all people possible on the never-ending list. He vowed to himself to not get involved with any of Kuroko's business from thereon, but nevertheless, he despised Haizaki. He considered the male as a deleterious existence to humanity – he was tenacious, abrasive, and rough on the edges. To be blunt, he just didn't get along with Akashi.

"Heh, with Zaki-chin?" Murasakibara sounded interested and surprised all at the same time. "That's rare, isn't it?"

"Is it?" Midorima fixed the position of his glasses. "Kuroko doesn't follow us home anymore, which means she either has found a new companion, or just simply desires an alternative. Haizaki doesn't even cause trouble nowadays – I don't find it very discerning, to be honest."

Amidst all this, Aomine still refused to say anything. He didn't seem affected or damaged at all by the mention of this fact. On the other hand, Akashi felt uneasy. He didn't know why Aomine could remain so calm at this announcement – he was pretty sure the emotion they possessed towards Haizaki was mutual. At least, until a few months ago, that was.

"I mean, we don't hang out with Kuro-chin that much. I guess it was bound to happen, sometime. Zaki-chin likes Kuro-chin, so maybe he's trying to hook up with her?" Murasakibara shrugged, as he jogged ahead of everyone else. Akashi froze for about a millisecond after that, until he continued jogging as well.

 _Hook up, huh._ She was a nobody to him. She didn't matter anymore. All that he was to concentrate on was the stable victory of Teiko, and the improvement of his very own abilities. _I guess it's fine that way._ No, it wasn't fine. But it had to be. It just had to be fine – or else – _or else I wouldn't be able to withstand the pain._

Kuroko entered the gym. She looked glum, as she held a basketball in her hand. Nothing seemed to amuse her – even the incessant victories that she used to love so much.

He thought Teiko's victories made her happy, delightful – the Light she was. Because there was basketball, Kuroko was content. That's why Akashi had tried so hard to keep Teiko the unmoving powerhouse of the Junior High competitions – to keep the victory. What was he doing wrong? What was Haizaki doing right?

Where was it that everything started going downhill?

Practice ended like always. Kuroko stayed behind, cleaning up the balls that everyone else neglected to do. Akashi waited, after changing. He just wanted to talk – and clear up his mind.

He needed to forget. Forget the fact that he had begun all this because of that girl. That girl that changed his life – she now had to be forgotten. Relinquishing the emotions was difficult – it was challenging task to be done alone. And that's why Akashi just wanted to talk to her face-to-face, in person. That way, he could possibly let her go.

"Akashi-kun? What are you doing here?"

Her soft, gentle voice. Her intoxicating scent. It all just captivated Akashi in every single way possible – and he had to let her go, despite all this. Life was cruel.

"I… I needed to talk to you."

She tilted her head to side. "About?"

 _I wonder. I wish I knew._ "Concerning… your plays yesterday." He started aimlessly. "You seemed a little out of it."

"Oh." Kuroko murmured. "I'm sorry. I wasn't in the best of my conditions."

She continued talking, apologizing, making up excuses that didn't seem true and whatnot. Akashi just stared at her for a while.

 _You need to forget._

But he didn't want to.

 _Let her go, let her be who she is._

But he couldn't.

 _She's imprisoned in this hell, because of your existence. Disappear._

He wished he could.

 _Her light is gone. It's your fault – this is the sin you have committed. How are you going to atone for your sins, Akashi Seijuro?_

He wished he knew.

 _Bring her back. Bring your Light back._

The next second, his mind went blank, and his body and instinct had completely taken full control of his everything. Kuroko's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

Their lips met.

When they parted, Akashi walked away without another word. The girl wasn't moving a single inch or centimeter – just frozen. He turned and muttered his final words as Akashi Seijuro to Kuroko Tetsuya, the girl he loved, his Light.

"Goodbye, Kuroko."

* * *

 **A/N: I know, right? Akashi took the first kiss in this fanfic – you're welcome, AkaKuro lovers. Although, there was considerably a lot of HaiKuro too.**

 **Anyway, please review! I need inspiration as a freshman in high school right now.**

 **Meiko**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey guys! I was going to take a break from writing stories, but due to the evidently explosive reaction of the previous chapter, I decided, eh, why not?**

 **This chapter is finally their transition to their senior year in Junior High – where all the sad and bad and whatnot detonates. This usually means angst is guaranteed, so for those who like that kind of depressing material, here is your fun! For those than don't, I give you my sincerest apologies. The Teiko Arc is just really… disheartening and harrowing, and quite histrionic as well. But I swear, this chapter is lighthearted. Really, I promise you… kinda.**

 **A quick FAQ, since I've had many reviewers ask this question:**

 **Is Ogiwara going to take an important role/be a part in the story?**

 **My answer:**

 **Yes. Hopefully not spoiling too much, he is not the most crucial character that affects the plot, but it is true that he would appear a lot more frequently than he had before, and would also appear in the sequel I have planned for this story.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

" _I didn't want to lose them. I didn't want to lose anyone again."_

Winter break.

Christmas edging was edging near.

If Kuroko Tetsuya was supposed to feel an emotion of excitement, then that surely wasn't occurring.

Her second year of junior high had been nothing but an utter mess. Maybe the fault was on her for not being able to move on, focusing too much on one particular person and not capable of comprehending what was going on in her surroundings. She couldn't remember the last time she conversed with Generation of Miracles for more than five minutes, minus the awkward pauses in between.

Since when? Since when were the pauses in existence? Since when did Midorima cease to provide her with her daily lucky items? Since when did she stop going home with at least one of them? Since when was she unable to talk to Aomine in the eye? Since when did she grow uncomfortable around Akashi?

The fact that she didn't know the answer to any of those questions scared her. She didn't know that unawareness could be such a fearful weapon against her vulnerable stance. She noticed that the Generation of Miracles were continuing to progress in their paths – but she was at the same station, like a malfunctioning train. Without her Lights, she was a mere shadow. No, she wasn't even a shadow. She was nothing. Without them, she was nothing, and could be nothing but nothing.

Her parents were off to the US for work. Her grandmother returned temporarily to the countryside, and now she was alone for New Years. What had she been doing the previous year during this time? She was pretty sure she wasn't alone, though.

Lowering her head as she turned on the TV, Kuroko Tetsuya stared at the buzzing screen with an empty look. Some early Christmas shows were broadcasting live, and she merely sat there, listening to the noisy entertainer babble off about the wondrous sight of Christmas lights, trees, and decorations. 'Deck the Halls' was playing as the background music, and everyone was dressed as a reindeer.

"Christmas…"

When she was younger, her favorite holiday was Christmas. Not because of the presents, but because everything was so warm, so happy, so exuberant and vibrant with enlightenment. Tasty food, Christmas cakes, gentle snow, romantic music and carols, dreams and coziness in the air – she loved all of it, from one to ten.

She turned on her phone and glanced at the date. It was December 23rd – a day before Christmas Eve. Her parents weren't coming back until January, and her grandmother was returning in mid-February. _So far away_.

Just when she was about to turn the cellphone off, a number appeared on the screen. The name read 'Haizaki Shogo'. For about the third time it rang, Kuroko was unsure how to respond. She wasn't exactly expecting a call from anyone. Reluctantly, she picked it up.

"Hello?"

" _Hey."_

"Um –"

" _I was wondering if you wanted to come over."_

"… Pardon?"

" _Do you want to come over? I bet you have nothing better to do anyway. It's Christmas, Tetsuya. I know your parents aren't even here."_

She gaped. "I never told you that –"

" _See? I'm right."_

"Wait, were you guess –"

" _Whatever, does it matter? Come out, I'm in front of your house."_

Kuroko lowered her phone, and squinted her eyes at the door in suspicion. She gradually got on her feet in disbelief, as she cracked the door open a little. There was Haizaki Shogo, in his bright red parka and jeans. He scanned her head to toe, then scrunched up his nose.

"Did you just wake up or something? You look… what's the word? Grotesque?"

"Says the person that just barged into somebody's house without warning." Kuroko said with a cross look, growing sensitive at the unnecessary adjective. But then she sighed, giving in. It wasn't like she could just leave the male out there in the December cold. "… Come in. I'll make you some tea and boiled eggs."

"Why the heck is it boiled eggs?" Haizaki frowned, as he undid his scarf and stepped inside.

"I only know how to make boiled eggs. Do you have a problem with that?" She scoffed, taking out three eggs from the fridge. Shrugging, Haizaki took a seat as if it was all natural. Truth to be said, this wasn't his first time barging into Kuroko's house without warning. They often stayed together, as Kuroko helped Haizaki with his homework (it wasn't like Kuroko was particularly intellectual, but she certainly received higher grades than Haizaki) – Kuroko's parents were fond of him (surprisingly), as he managed to pull their daughter out of her small depression.

The teal-haired girl returned with some matcha green tea, as a small trail of smoke from the glasses blocked her view. She placed them with caution on the table, and then took a seat across the male.

"What brings you here?" Inquired Kuroko, taking a savoring sip of her green tea.

Haizaki's answer was not the most satisfactory. "I was bored."

As this was how the brute usually responded when asked a bothersome question, Kuroko didn't press the matter too much on him. It wasn't like Haizaki was the most reasonable of people, or the most explanatory. And now that she was used to his personality, it wasn't much of a big deal. However, it frustrated her every now and then.

"I see." She forced those two words, as Haizaki tried to cool the hot tea. He never liked hot things.

"Precisely," Haizaki began, "there is more than boredom. But that is the core of my reason. Mostly because, you know, mom's nagging. I gave up on getting fifty diamonds for my video game, and gravure magazines get repetitive after a few good ones. So this was my last option left."

Kuroko shook her head. "I'd prefer if barging into my house wouldn't be an option to fulfill your entertainment."

"Not like you're having so much fun either." Haizaki eyed the Christmas channel she forgot to turn off. "I mean, who watches _those_?"

"It's a family tradition." She said in her defense.

"Sure, sure." Haizaki merely snorted. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house. Just for a few days. I mean, surely it's safer at my house than staying by yourself here." _Excuses!_ His inner self screamed at him. _EXCUSES!_

Puzzled, Kuroko tilted her head to the side. She couldn't understand the cause behind Haizaki's actions. But again, the gray-haired boy had the tendency to confuse her every now and then.

"Like," He tried to provide further information. "I'm saying, that…" _God, this would be so much easier if we were just… I don't know, going out?_ "You should spend Christmas with my family."

… Silence.

"Why?"

"Uh…" Haizaki went speechless. He did come all the way here, taking extremely sluggish steps, scripting different responses from how to start this conversation, suggest this idea, and end it with a happy ending. He had planned out nearly thirty different situations, and four hundred different responses to unexpected questions. But now that everything was real, he quickly learned that this was not like any of his simulations. "I don't know. I mean, we're… friends." He winced as he muttered the word. He had just casually friendzoned himself.

However, it seemed to have worked. Kuroko's eyes softened at that. "I guess we are." Then her head turned to the pot. "Wait, I'll go get the eggs."

As she vanished into the kitchen, Haizaki threw his head backward in exasperation. _My fucking god, I'm so dumb._ "Friends. We're just friends." He repeated the word over and over again, trying hard to convince himself and hypnotize his mind. _But do friends usually spend Christmas nights together? Especially a girl and a guy? Does that happen?_ "Of course it does." He answered his own question, as the girl came back with a bowl of boiled eggs.

"I'll have to ask my parents for permission." For a second, Haizaki had no idea at all what she was talking about. But then he soon caught on, as he cracked the egg. "But they know you, so I think it would be okay."

She dialed a number, and put the speaker to her ear. Haizaki just stared at her, throwing the egg into his mouth. _Why in the great name of Aphrodite do I love her anyway?_ Kuroko Tetsuya was not the smartest, the cutest, the prettiest, the sexiest, or the brightest of people. So why? Why was he compelled to love her? He wouldn't know.

The girl nodded. "They did say yes, only if your parents were fine with it –"

"My dad's not home. And my mom is generous when it comes to girls. About my brother… well, just keep a safe distance from him. He won't bite, anyway." Popping a second egg into his mouth, Haizaki licked his lips. "Well?"

"If you insist." The girl sighed, as she went to her room to pack up.

But even so, she couldn't help but feel slightly happy.

* * *

"I have no idea what I am doing with you on a perfectly fine day."

"Don't question."

"I would and always will question matters of fate. It clearly told me today that Cancers were to avoid Libras, and yet –"

"Enough of that, Mido-chin… what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

It was, by mere coincidence, that the two boys had to face a forced encounter at the shopping mall. They were not in the least bit interested in meeting each other during break – or really, during any day of the year. But they met at the 'Christmas ornaments' section, and now, they really had no choice. It had turned out that due to an event going on, their pathway was blocked – which precisely meant, that they had no choice but to wait patiently.

So they resorted to a petite café in the corner, with Murasakibara ordering a cup of hot chocolate, and Midorima red bean soup. They surely attracted a lot of unwanted attention, with their astounding hair color and Murasakibara's fearsome height. They were a formidable duo when it came to these things.

To be honest, it had been quite a while since the two were left alone together. The last time they shared a proper conversation was in the bus, on their way back home – and that was ages ago. After Haizaki's departure, the Generation of Miracles began falling apart all together, and as a result, those members that were never close to begin with just grew further away. A perfect example was Murasakibara and Midorima.

"What have you been attending to lately?" Midorima broke the ice.

"That's a odd question."

"I know." The bespectacled boy snapped. "But it isn't like you probably had anything better to say."

"Quite." Murasakibara admitted. "Just the usual stuff. Doing housework, preparing my siblings' lunches, doing the laundry, cleaning the house… washing the dishes, wondering how to cover the expenses for our shattered window and crashed heater, and buying the groceries, I guess."

"… Define the 'usual stuff' a boy in middle school should be doing."

The purple giant didn't have much to say for that. The Murasakibara household was quite extraordinary – the older one got, the more irresponsible they seemed to be. And having three brothers complaining about not having a girlfriend, and having a moodswingy older sister didn't exactly help his distress.

"How about Mido-chin?"

The shooting guard cleared his throat, readily preparing his response. "I spent immeasurable moments at the convenience store. It was truly heavenly, as they had this special Christmas sale on practically all the Oha-Asa merchandise. I went ahead and helped myself with a sufficient amount of everyday stationery, as well as a few cans of red bean soup."

"That sounds exciting." Despite his words, Murasakibara sounded like the most dejected person in the world. Midorima noted his tone, but didn't say anything.

Just then, a rather disturbing sight caught his eye beneath his glasses. Murasakibara paid no attention as he had his back to the window, but Midorima, who could see everything, stared at the two people that were laughing as they walked by the café. Murasakibara turned back, as he saw Midorima's expression of pure incredulity. Then his thin eyes widened as well.

When the two were gone from their vision, the center opened his mouth. "That was Kuro-chin and Zaki-chin… right?"

"Correct." Midorima mumbled. "Correct." He repeated.

"Never knew that those two had such an intimate relationship to be spending the Christmas week together." Quickly recovering from the shock, Murasakibara took a relaxed sip from his hot chocolate. "Talking about intimacy, why are we spending our precious Christmas week together again?"

Midorima rolled his eyes. "That's not the focal point of this topic. What I want to say is…" He trailed off, the words dying in his throat. Murasakibara just waited, stirring the brown substance with the wooden stick. "… I wonder, Murasakibara, if we're… just afraid."

The purple head frowned at that, stopping the motion of his stirring. But then he continued, as if nothing happened. Nonetheless, he was listening, and Midorima was perfectly aware of that.

"We're afraid of this change." Midorima muttered conclusively, although quite uncertain himself.

"Perhaps so." The giant was neither as intelligent nor insightful as Midorima. He was a simple individual that despised thinking, and he couldn't be of any psychological assistance of the nerd. His responses were bound to be limited.

Thoughtful silence spread upon them. They didn't need to communicate verbally in order to comprehend each other's speculations. The two boys were polar opposites, and individuals that didn't associate with one another. If someone were to point out one thing they had in common, it would be that they were connected through a bond called the Generation of Miracles, both new and old.

 _Afraid of change?_ Murasakibara squeezed the cup he was holding, its warmth creeping through his body. _There's no way that can be it._ The fleeting image of Kuroko walking alongside Haizaki flashed across his mind. He closed his eyes decisively, wrapping his hands tightly around the heated glass. Releasing a long sigh, Murasakibara murmured the same words in his head again.

"… Let's go, Murasakibara."

"… Yeah."

It would be okay.

It would be okay.

It would be okay.

 _No, it wouldn't._

* * *

"Oh, so you're Kuroko, aren't you?"

"Y-yes. It's my pleasure to meet you –"

"Ahaha, no formalities are necessary in this house! Haizaki's are free – very free, we are. Wouldn't you agree, Sho-go?" The woman winked sadistically at her son. "And Hasaya, get your lazy butt down in the living room, _NOW_! ARE YOU PLANNING TO MAKE A GIRL WAIT ON YOU, ARE YOU, _BRAT_?"

Rapid footsteps were heard from above at the belligerent call, as a man tumbled down the staircase. The woman flashed a smile. "That's my idiotic son number one. Name's Hasaya. You can call him by his given name, or simply call him an idiot. I wouldn't mind."

" _I_ would mind."

"Nobody cares about you, my idiotic son number one."

"Do _not_ call me that."

Lively was the word to define the Haizaki household. Although not like any other ordinary family, it was exactly the way Kuroko imagined it to be.

"Anyway, I apologize for the probably rude way my idiotic son number two –"

"Number _two_?" Haizaki wailed desperately.

"- Would've asked you out." Ignoring the interjection, the woman went on. "My name is Haizaki Miwa. Make yourself home here, Tetsuya-chan."

Kuroko flinched at the familiarity displayed by the woman. Nobody addressed her casually with her given name on their very first encounter – nobody except Haizaki. Maybe it was in the blood. Nevertheless, that didn't mean she disliked the mannerism. It was merely foreign to her, and that was all there was to it.

Hasaya, recomposing himself from the fall, cleared his throat. Bluntly saying, he had the appearance of a delinquent – a middle schooler that was determined to fight against the whole world if necessary. Long, silver hair (it was longer than her mid-back one) that was tied into a careless ponytail, and a face that slightly resembled his younger brother's. She had previously heard uncanny rumors about him floating around the school – that he beaten up 25 students from a neighboring school, and had picked a fight with a group of well-formed high schoolers.

However, the person she saw in front of herself was just a cumbersome man that acted just like Haizaki Shogo, her friend. The resemblance was quite funny.

"Shogo couldn't have possibly gotten a girlfriend earlier than me." Hasaya pointed his index finger at Kuroko, his face twisting into one of disgust and horror. "He has no sexual appeal or whatsoever!"

"You're only a year older than him, my dear son. That's like a bottle of coke claiming that they taste better than a bottle of coke that was made a year before them. They're both coke anyway." Oddly enough, she had a sensible point there.

Hasaya didn't back down. "I'm a high schooler next year. I need to make a girlfriend earlier than Shogo, or else my pride as a brother will falter –"

"She ain't my girlfriend." Muttered Haizaki in quite a bitter fashion, as he took off his parka. "Just a friend at school."

" _Just a friend at school_ , he says!" Hasaya exclaimed dramatically. "Just a fucking random friend at school that you invited for Christmas! You never invite anyone- well, you never _celebrate_ Christmas!"

"Changed my mind."

"Wow, just wow."

Kuroko stood awkwardly at the sidelines. Miwa left the two boys to argue, and led her to the spare room the house could offer. She couldn't allow the frail girl to sleep with a bunch of aggressive wolves (that she called her sons) after all. "I hope it isn't to messy." The mother smiled apologetically. "Shogo only suggested that you come over yesterday, and I still had some arrangements to smoothen out. It's Shogo's old room."

"Anything would do for me." Kuroko presented her thanks. Truthfully saying, she was still pondering on her reason why she was here, away from home. Of course, it was fairly true that she had nothing better to do. She couldn't express how grateful she was to Miwa for her unbridled kindness and considerate behavior ever since her arrival, which had been no longer than thirty minutes. She had experienced something similar very long ago, this sensation of acceptance. When was it?

A knock sounded on the door, and Kuroko turned. Haizaki entered, now changed into a T-shit and shorts. He had a rather sheepish look on his face, as he just slumped down on his bed, touching the fresh futon that his mom washed only yesterday. They had been together in a room many times, but he wasn't sure when he would ever get used to it. Probably, never.

"Sorry that my brother is such a jerk." He started, not knowing what to say. "He's so salty over the fact that his girlfriend dumped him a week ago."

"I don't really mind." Kuroko said softly. She knew Hasaya didn't mean any harm, and by any means, she wasn't disturbed by his tone at all.

On the other hand, Haizaki was personally regretting the fact that he invited her over. Of course, he was secretly delighted that she agreed to his invitation, although it was rather sudden. The shameful part was when he had to introduce his family to her – and he knew that it must be quite different from what she had seen growing up. Surely, she was from a more… a more refined household, where violence wasn't tolerated, Asian standards, blah. Her parents were perfectly nice people, and seemed just like that.

Surprisingly enough, Kuroko started giggling out of the blue.

"What's so funny now, huh?"

Kuroko glanced up at the male. "I don't know… your family is just what I imagined it to be, that I really don't know what to say."

"Are you insulting me?" Haizaki glared, but Kuroko just shook her head.

"No, I like it." She opened her eyes, and Haizaki held his tongue as he saw the light in her turquoise eyes. "I really do."

He snorted, rolling his eyes, helpless. Running his hand through his hair, he lied down on his comfy bed and stared at the ceiling, then glimpsed at Kuroko's thin figure. This tranquility was exactly what he desired – nothing more, nothing less, but just how they were right now. It was fine with him if she didn't like him back – he long knew that Kuroko wouldn't be able to get over Aomine, at least, with his power alone. However, if she could at least forget about the power forward for an instance, enjoy this moment with him – he was fine with that alone.

"That's good."

* * *

Akashi Seijuro sat ramrod straight on his chair, signing papers for his father. Albeit the fact that Christmas was near and his birthday had just passed, no mercy was given to him. He yet to have opened the presents given to him by the maids and servants that pitied him for his father have not giving him one himself – again.

It was only natural that his father didn't do such a troublesome thing. But Akashi found himself in the same location repeatedly every year, not knowing what to expect – when he knew the answer so well, so well painfully aware.

His actions a few weeks (no, maybe it had only been days – he had been losing count) since his fateful action. It was an unplanned event, and that was seldom done on Akashi's part of life. But during the past year, he found it rather challenging to control himself – his own mind. Which he found utmost frustrating, and even caused him to feel useless and terrifyingly inhuman. He felt irate and bewildered, overwhelmed by his own insanity.

There was somebody else dwelling and growing day by day inside of him, and although it was yet to awaken in its physical form, Akashi was afraid. Terribly afraid that one day, he wouldn't be Akashi Seijuro anymore, but somebody else. That he would lose all memories and people, trust, friendships, family, and love.

 _It's not like you have any of those right now, either._

His grip tightened on his pen. "That is spurious."

 _You would say so. You were always very ignorant, after all. The time is soon, Seijuro. Time flies, as you can see._

"You speak of lies." Akashi muttered in grief. "Leave me alone."

 _Oh, I speak of only truth. I merely wish for your happiness, Seijuro. Together, we can reach the goal you aim for. It may seem impossible by yourself – in fact, it is impossible to reach by yourself. And that is precisely why we need to cooperate._

"I am not," the red head shut his eyes close, trying to dismiss the voice that sounded exactly like his own away. "Going to cooperate with the likes of you. I will accomplish my goals with my strength, my power alone. I do not need a bit of assistance from an unknown existence –"

 _But I am not unknown, or what you would name 'the likes of you'._

"That is preposterous – terrifically false."

 _But I am you, Akashi Seijuro._

"Shut up." Akashi seethed, gritting his teeth. "Please."

With that, the voice disappeared.

* * *

Kuroko had to say, that she enjoyed the few days with the Haizaki household to the fullest. Hasaya realized that she liked the same band as he did, and was quick to break the ice with her. Miwa was naturally congenial, and Haizaki was, well, Haizaki. Although it had only been two nights, it felt as if Kuroko was just always there – where she belonged. Home. This was, in fact, home.

"I LOST AGAIN!" Hasaya screeched, hurling the controller across the living room as it hit the wall, creating a new dent. Miwa laughed, victorious. At this very point, Kuroko was skeptical of the woman's abilities – she was skilled at practically everything.

"You probably just suck, Hasaya." Grunting, Haizaki wolfed down another bowl of popcorn. They were supposed to be watching ' _The Train to Busan'_ **(A/N: Did anyone watch this movie? Because god, it was sad.)** until Hasaya started crying a river when the muscular husband died for the rest of the group.

"That too." Miwa smirked, as she put the controller down on the floor, not seeming to care at all about the dent on the wall. It was Christmas, yes. They hadn't exchanged presents, as the Haizaki family didn't display such friendly elements, but it was still lively and exuberant nevertheless. It was an enterprising night.

Kuroko's phone beeped amidst the noise.

The ID on the phone made her eyebrows furrow, but not in displeasure.

 _From: Ogiwara Shigehiro_

 _To: Me_

 _Subject: Merry Christmas!_

 _Hey, Kuroko, how have you been? It's really snowy here. I remembered you, when I was celebrating Christmas with some of my buddies (they thought it was weird I had a female friend). Anyway, I'm having one of the greatest Christmas nights of my life. It would've so much better with you, but can't help that, I guess. I hope you're having a great time too!_

 _P.S._

 _Meet you at the nationals next year!_

She stared at the blinking words of her screen, then typed a short response, in comparison to Ogiwara's quite lengthy one.

 _I'm having a wonderful time too._

And she meant it, for once.

* * *

 **A/N: I meant it when I said this was going to be lighthearted chapter… kinda. I wanted to show some progress in the characters this time, as I rushed events and everything.**

 **Some reviewers keep on guessing what I'm going to write in the next chapter, and they get it right. You geniuses. Please don't read my mind.**

 **And one of you guys mentioned (I think) that some characters, get a lot more attention, like Akashi, Kuroko (duh), Murasakibara, and Haizaki – and not Kise, Aomine, Midorima (this guy actually is appearing a lot more often nowadays) and whatever. This is only for the first book. Aomine will probably get like 10 chapters for himself in the sequel, and so will Kise… I think.**

 **Anyway, please tell me your opinions on this chapter in your reviews!**

 **Meiko**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: It was not my plan to be back so early… but the immense support you guys provided just helped me a lot. And I even forgot to thank you guys for the 300+ followers and 100+ reviews!**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! To display my gratitude, this chapter is EXTRA LONG!**

 **Also, just a fair warning (because you guys deserve it) – I did say I wasn't going to completely follow the manga's story plot, right? That means, that some characters that don't appear later in the anime might appear right now…**

 **Ft. The Angst Begins.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

" _I understood her pain. I wanted to help her, so I had no choice but to break her heart first."_

It was not the best of days when Murasakibara Atsushi's siblings were making an absolute mess out of the residence. Birthday cake icing painting their tiled floor, broken glass shards that originated from their mother's favorite tea cup set, Soji's Biochemistry essay soaked in earl grey tea, and the 4 older brothers and sister arguing endlessly, skillfully avoiding the muddle on the floor.

Everything began from another one-night-stand of the eldest sibling, Murasakibara Toshi. The matters wouldn't have complicated so much, if he didn't get the girl he slept with _pregnant_. Of course, albeit done with the consent of the female, they didn't expect that even with protection, it was possible ("protection" – very clumsily done in drunken states, that was). Due to this incident, Toshi's scholarship was almost suspended – almost. The university overlooked this mistake, as he was of legal age and all that – the only problem was what to with the girl and the child.

Of course, the Murasakibara's parents did not take this matter lightly. They were aware of their son's dissolute personal life, but hadn't believed it would go to this extent. Skipping all the inconsequential details, Toshi started an outburst that affected the rest of the siblings except Murasakibara Atsushi, and as a result, messed up the whole living room by deciding that a physical battle would settle the situation.

"It wasn't my fault." Toshi growled, making it clear with illogical reasoning.

"Then whose was it? The girl's?" Miyuki shot back, as the other three brothers started mumbling gibberish of their own. The parents were long gone, removing their hands from the conflict. Which naturally meant, that Murasakibara was in charge of taking care of the mess.

 _Dear Lord,_ Murasakibara thought grudgingly, _if you exist, just do me a favor and shut those people up._ He picked up the glass shards, trying his best to dodge the furious stomps that flew from his siblings every now and then. It was kind of difficult, considering how massive he was.

Suddenly, Toshi's index finger pointed at him. "Atsushi, where's your input in this? Was it my fault that this had to happen?" His expression was clearly threatening him to say no.

Appearing oblivious, Murasakibara answered, "What?"

"Look at this useless brother!" Toshi rolled his eyes, throwing his arms into the air. "Atsushi, do you listen to _anything_ we say? You're always so out of it – seriously, you're not even an inch close to being 'smart' or 'insightful'! We were literally just arguing at the top of our heads about this problem! And all you say is, 'what'? Are you kidding me?" A contemptuous glance. Pompous mannerisms. Underestimating him.

"For once, I agree." Shibuki, the third brother, snorted. "Atsushi, you should be a wife to some rich dude some day. It'd help the family."

Murasakibara sucked in a patient sigh. He was used to this. This was the way his household worked. Four would clash, and one would fix up their clutter. He threw the last glass shard into the plastic bag, and opened his mouth to speak. "I know that."

When Soji continued, Murasakibara knew something was going to pull a string. "You know it, huh. Gee, how negative. Do you know that negativity is contagious?"

Miyuki laughed, as if she found some great humor in this whole situation. "Well said, well said! But we do have to keep him, you know? Without Atsushi, we don't have anyone to take care of anything!"

"True. Maybe we should hire him as a maid. Pay him, perhaps?"

They saw him as property. His property. Her property. _Their_ property. But this was his family. Where he was bound to for life, where he was born, where he was forced to love and accept. It was where he-

"Atsushi, can you go out for the groceries?" His mom interrupted his trail of thoughts, calmly speaking the words, seeming undisturbed by the environment of the house. "I would've done so, but I'm not done with my work here." As if to prove a point, Toshi smirked, and the other three did the same. It was amusing how they were fighting five minutes ago, and reconciled over the incompetence of their brother. This way or that, Murasakibara decided to take his sacrifice as a fortunate thing.

Taking the keys to the front door, Murasakibara exited the house. He was a lazy, unproductive person. At least, that was his natural instinct, a trait he was born with. Said trait seemed invisible at most times, but it showed in his sluggish form of walking, his slow words, and hunched back. Perhaps it was because he spent so much of his energy on trying to keep a perfect composition within the household, that he couldn't hold off during the rest of the day. Either way, it was terrible.

When he was about halfway there to the grocery store, he was stopped by a person shorter than him (naturally).

"Hey!" He flashed a bright smile, as Murasakibara blinked, processing the situation that was laid out in front of him. "I was going to ask some directions, you know? But it is kind of scary to ask people I don't know – and then I saw you! Familiar faces are great, don't you think? Oh, but it's nothing surprising that you don't know me. Most people don't anyway." Talkative, this one.

Murasakibara had many questions perk up in his mind, but was too tired and worn out for the day to get everything through – so we jumped straight too the point. This boy reminded him so much of Kise, that it was starting to irritate him. "So? Where are you trying to get? I'm not good with directions either, just a heads up."

"Right, right." The latter raised his baseball cap and took out a crumpled map. "It's this house, right over here, near a field. More like an apartment. My friend lives here. I was wondering if you know – despite having a map, I'm just hopeless with these things." He paused, and then observed Murasakibara for a while. "My friend goes to the same school as you, by the way. Basketball team."

Now that made much more sense to why this guy seemed to know him so well (unknown to Murasakibara who had no interest in the media or press, any practical civilian knew his face and name, due to the popularity of the Generation of Miracles). He didn't inquire who the friend was, however, as he just wasn't in the mood for curiosity. It's not like he had much of it in the first place, anyway. "You just need to go straight from this road, and then turn left, and then go straight again. It's a blue building with a white roof."

The guy gave him a thankful, grateful smile – for some reason, it startled Murasakibara a little – it had been a few long years since anyone had ever openly presented their appreciation towards him. "Thanks, tall buddy! Oh, my name's Ogiwara Shigehiro, by the way! It was nice to talk to you, Murasakibara!" Ogiwara waved to him and ran off to the direction he was told.

 _Ogiwara?_ Murasakibara thought, as the name resounded in his head. It was a familiar name. The address he had shown to him was equally familiar, too.

 _Oh well, it's none of my business._

If only he cared a little more then…

* * *

"Your friend is coming over?"

"Yes. He called me just twenty minutes ago without any warning beforehand."

"During the weekend?"

"Yes, during the weekend."

"Oh. Funny."

Haizaki Shogo and Kuroko Tetsuya were engaging themselves with studying for an upcoming chemistry test. Or more like, Haizaki was distracting Kuroko from studying for her chemistry test. Either way, he wasn't exactly helping her with anything.

"It's not funny," Kuroko argued, snapping her pencil down on the table, "he could've informed me earlier- now I have to clean the house, because _you_ messed it up, and –"

"Look, Tetsuya." Popping a boiled egg into his mouth, Haizaki rolled his eyes. "You two were best friends, right? He probably cares less about how your room is unorganized or whatnot. Best friends are not supposed to care about how clean one's room is, you know."

Kuroko paused – because Haizaki was right. Ogiwara was never the type to care about those things. He would probably ask her about her wellbeing, request for a small meal, and then go for sightseeing around the area… "I guess you have a point there." She resumed to completing the study guide, as she sat down in a more comfortable position.

It almost seemed like a very obvious occurrence that Haizaki came to her house everyday, whether it was for homework, a group project, or before a test or an exam. During their final year in high school, they were magically assigned to the same homeroom – which resulted in constant meetings and encounters in class. While Haizaki was friends with practically every single male classmate in school, Kuroko found difficulties socializing with others – not because she was horrible at conversing, but because nobody ever noticed her. So naturally, Haizaki took the initiative to be in the same group or partner with her every time, at least until she gained some female friends to hang around with.

Kuroko appreciated his concern, but it was quite irritating at times when he distracted her from work. Despite the fact that Haizaki would choose to be in the same group with her willingly, that didn't mean that he did his job. He was still the lazy, uncooperative Haizaki.

"Haizaki-kun, the three types of bonding in chemistry aren't kissing, hugging, and sex." The teal-haired girl heaved a sigh, shaking her head as she put his study guide down.

" _What_? You serious?" Dumbfounded, Haizaki's jaw dropped.

"It's ionic, covalent, and metallic. It's the most basic types of bonding – what were you doing while Hayasaka-sensei was talking in class?" She narrowed her eyes, as Haizaki looked away, ignoring the question. "Look, it's not my fault if you fail your first chemistry test, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah what –"

 _Ding dong-_

The doorbell rang, as Kuroko stood up. Haizaki stared at her take small steps towards the entrance. His palm was covering his mouth, as he gave the door a tentative glance. It wasn't like this Ogiwara was a total stranger to him – he saw him in old photographs of Kuroko, and heard about him through a variety of stories that Kuroko told him. In conclusion, it sounded like he was a nice guy that was slightly dense and obsessed with basketball.

 _Kind of like Aomine._ The male thought bitterly, reminding himself of the position he was in mere two years ago. A bystander in Kuroko's love, and her life as whole. That was indifferent even now; the only transformation being that Aomine was no longer attracted to the girl. However, Kuroko…

"Hey, Kuroko!" A bright, cheery voice that screamed 'I-am-a-friendly-dude' on every single note echoed through the corridor as Kuroko opened the door. "Long time no see, don't you think?"

From a few meters away, Haizaki heard Kuroko's small, gentle voice reply, "Ogiwara-kun, it's nice to meet you. Although it would've been favorable if you passed on some kind of warning beforehand." Their footsteps neared, and Haizaki tensed up a little. It wasn't like he was nervous – as if a mere dude could make him nervous. The crucial point in this situation was that Ogiwara was Kuroko's childhood friend.

Ogiwara Shigehiro was just like how he had been described previously. A nice looking dude, with basketball equipment in his gigantic bag. The newcomer blinked, and then glimpsed at Kuroko. "Your friend?"

"He's my classmate. His name is Haizaki Shogo. Haizaki-kun, this Ogiwara Shigehiro, my childhood friend."

Haizaki hesitantly spoke up, straightening his back a little. "… Hi." He couldn't muster a smile – he just couldn't do that.

In comparison to Haizaki's awkward greeting, Ogiwara lunged forward and passed an amicable slap on his shoulder, laughing. "So _you're_ Haizaki!" He grabbed both of Haizaki's hands and started shaking them violently, his eyes sparkling. "I heard a lot about you from Kuroko! You're friends with her, right? Man, I really wanted to meet you! I also heard that you used to play basketball – first string, eh? You must be pretty strong, then! What's your signature moves? Dunks? Passes- nah, that's Kuroko's specialty. Blocking? Drives? Who's your favorite NBA player? To be able to meet two great basketball players today – the gods must be at my favor!"

"Two?" Kuroko frowned, puzzled. "Did you meet someone on the way?"

"Oh, sure I did." Ogiwara said, setting his bag down on the floor. "The really tall, nearly two meter one. Murasakibara, was it? He taught me how to get to your house when I was kind of lost. Seemed like a pretty down dude – his face looked sickly, let me tell you that much."

At the mention of one of the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko's shoulders hunched up in slight unknown shame. Was it shame that originated from the distaste she gained in her teammates, or because the worthlessness she now displayed by remaining on the team? She didn't know.

"I just came here for a visit, anyway." Ogiwara put his cap back on. "Meiko is here for a school trip, you know – we have four school trips each year, one in January, one in May, one in August, and one in December. We just happened to come to your district this time, so I snuck out from the crowd with a promise that I'd return within an hour's time." He paused, while putting his bag over his shoulders. "I also wanted to see how you were doing, I guess. You rarely talk about yourself nowadays." He gave her a pat on the arm. "Let's meet at the Finals next time, eh?"

A shadow loomed near Kuroko's eyes, as if reflecting her feelings directly. Haizaki wanted to cover up for her, but unfortunately this wasn't his place to butt in. "… Yes, definitely." She forced a smile on her lips, as Ogiwara parted and bid his farewell to both of them.

A moment of pregnant silence blanketed the vicinity, as Kuroko remained still, standing. Her expression showed no particular emotion, just emptiness.

"…Tetsuya." Haizaki began. "Take a seat. It wouldn't make a difference whether you stand and sulk or sit and sulk."

Kuroko followed his instructions. She didn't utter another word, though.

"It's a must and for sure that Teiko will be going to the Finals. It's only the matter of whether or not that guy's school will –"

"It's not that." Kuroko interjected. "I'm not…" Her voice trailed away. "… I'm not an essential source for victory on Teiko anymore. By the time Ogiwara-kun gets to the finals, I probably won't even be standing on court. There are so many on the team that is capable of taking my position as a regular. Teiko… doesn't find a shadow necessary anymore."

Haizaki gritted his teeth a little, clenching his fists in frustration. "That's not true. Don't get overly pessimistic just because the shitty Generation of Douchebags are hitting puberty. Teiko needs you to win."

Kuroko didn't answer.

* * *

"Arata."

"Here."

"Yuu."

"Here."

"Aomine."

Silence.

"Aomine?"

More silence.

"Again?" Coach Sanada groaned. It was the fourth time Aomine was missing practice that week. The fact that they were only four weekdays through didn't explain anything. "Akashi, did you check on his location? Anyone who saw him?" Many shaking heads arrived in response. The coach pinched the bridge of his nose, greatly distressed. Apparently the said ace found that practice was unnecessary for someone like him – practice would only make him stronger, thus resulting in him being further out of everyone's league.

"He must be chilling at the rooftop or something." Murasakibara murmured, making a free throw from the three-point line. The ball passed swiftly through the net. His skill had been increasing quite significantly these past few days, and the giant was beginning to comprehend the reason why Aomine find this so troublesome. Midorima, on the other hand, continuously practiced just like he always did. Kise was a random one that practiced when he wanted, and didn't when he felt like flirting with some girls on campus.

Distorted, was the right word for their current status of their relationship. Every one of them was too occupied to now feel an emotion named anguish, and none of them grieved the loss of one another. They were never that closely bonded to begin with – breaking apart was an easy task, with just the right amount of force given.

"Momoi, go find Aomine. The rest of you, keep on practicing." Coach Sanada turned away from the members, as they separated one another and headed to different sides of the court.

Kuroko made a shot at the hoop, knowing she was going to miss. The ball hit the edge, and bounced back down on the rubbery court, squeaking against the floor. She stared as it hit the wall. Was there a point in going to fetch it? No, there wasn't. She wouldn't be able to make a successful shot, and it wasn't like she was going to improve unless she had someone to support. Where did she benefit from this repetitive routine? She wasn't particularly talented in any other aspect of basketball, excluding passing. So what? Teiko still won without her passes.

Her chest began to ache, and she crouched on the floor, hugging her legs as she buried her face in her knees.

 _I'm a hindrance to this team._

No longer needed.

 _Phantom sixth man…_

No longer needed.

 _Shadow…_

No longer needed.

 _Victory…_

No longer needed.

"Kuroko?" Midorima tapped her on the shoulder lightly. "Kuroko, are you feeling alright?" His voice hinted at no concern, but a formal inquiry. The ache worsened upon being conscious of that point.

"… I'm fine." She didn't move, but instead replied, hoping it would be to his satisfaction. She didn't want to be comforted my empty words. Facing the truth was her mission, and she had to accomplish that. Face the painful truth that she was no longer essential for Teiko to function. Teiko was now an upgraded machine, and it deemed her as a useless piece. Somehow bringing herself back up to stand again, Kuroko got another ball.

Midorima observed her from a fair distance. "I see." But before she could completely walk away, he opened his mouth once more. "Kuroko, I won't be able to fully comprehend what is possessing your mind, but dispose it." When the girl sent him a bewildered expression, he simply took off his glasses and wiped the lenses. "Oha Asa stated that Aquarians would have troublesome worries in their heads today. Just a fair warning."

With that the shooting guard jogged his way across the court, fetching the ball his teammate missed and shooting it from half-court.

 _He's right._ Kuroko sucked in the stale air. "If I don't believe in myself, who will?" Clutching the basketball in her small, tough hands, Kuroko turned her attention to the hoop above of her. _The only thing I can accomplish is to support the team. As a Shadow, I'll perfect my skills and my passes until they can become of use._ "Set needless worries aside…" Whispering, she threw the ball into the air.

When practice was over, the Generation of Miracles, excluding their ace, changed in the locker rooms. A year ago, the locker room would've been overwhelmed by their chit-chat sessions and insane noises, blended in with altercations of Murasakibara and Midorima, an enterprising vibe exploding from Kise while Aomine cursing with his flamboyant language, and a calm and composed structure of Akashi at the sidelines, altogether forming the Generation of Miracles.

Now, hushed stillness engulfed the room, only the irritable sound of the electric fan on the ceiling and the ancient 'creaks' of the lockers audible. None of them dared to share a syllable – none of them thought of it, either. To the Generation of Miracles, it was now an ordinary occurrence that all of them were strangers, mere acquaintances, in fact, that only _used to be_ close with one another.

"… What are we going to do with Aominecchi?" Kise, the sole being that despised the ice, broke the solitary silence. His voice was nothing close to his usual amiable friendliness, just a robotic monotone, as if recorded beforehand. "You're the captain, Akashicchi. Is it acceptable to you that there's a member skipping out on practice constantly?"

Kise's inquiry was more like a disparaging demand. Perhaps, the one that was at dissent the most of the whole idea of them distancing themselves was the blonde.

"It is not a matter you need to associate yourself with, Kise." Akashi mumbled, buttoning his uniform shirt. "He will eventually return if he finds practice necessary. It isn't like Teiko's power would suddenly decline just because of his absence." It was undeniable, Akashi's remark. It was a definite statement that Teiko would continue to remain the primary school in terms of force and invincibility, even with having one of their core members missing. There were still four others, after all.

The small forward, obviously agitated, continued to urge Akashi. "Then why do we still need Kurokocchi on the regular lineup?"

Every single player in the room grew absolutely motionless at that.

" _You guys have to stay by her side, until the very end."_

Despite all of them growing distant, despite them breaking apart, despite them distributing themselves to their own lives and directions once again – it was an unspoken vow amongst the previous Generation of Miracles (including Haizaki, but not Kise), to never bring up the value of Kuroko Tetsuya amongst themselves ever again. Yes, the majority of them were aware, somewhere within their sanity, that she was no longer an essential tool for the victory of the team. They believed that was quite self explanatory, as not only finding Kuroko unnecessary for the team – they found _each other_ unnecessary for the team.

"… Kise." Akashi closed his locker, throwing his jersey inside. "We will not bring up Kuroko when it comes to this topic."

"But –"

"Kuroko," Midorima began, drawing attention to himself, "necessary or not, has always supported us. It is not an exaggeration even if we state that because of her existence on the team that we were able to evolve. To get rid of her now –"

"I'm not saying we have to literally ban her from club activities." Slamming his locker against the pane, Kise growled. "I'm not saying she's useless, or that she had absolutely no role in the evolution of the team. Without her, very well, you have a point – Teiko would've remained the same old Teiko. But why can't you think of _her_ position?"

So far through the oddly heated conversation tossed back and forth, Murasakibara was the only one that continued to remain quiet, taking a neutral stance.

"Do you know how agonizing it is, to be treated like you are "useful", when you actually aren't? To convince yourself and deceive yourself that you can improve, when there's nothing you can do? To be waited upon, and to be _expected_ to wait patiently until someone finds a place for you – when that moment will never arrive? To be _pitied_ instead of infuriated at?" Taking broad steps forward towards Akashi, Kise glowered at his captain. It was the first time Kise had shown any signs of animosity to any of them, and it startled the rest.

Gritting his teeth, Kise lowered his head, and spoke. "Don't act like you care about her when you don't." He spat, edging away as he exited the locker rooms with a furious slam of the door. At this point, Akashi was at loss for words, and so were the other Generation of Miracles.

 _Don't act like you care about her when you don't._ The sentence filled with pure enmity and bitterness consumed their mind. To their utmost emotion and will to oppose Kise's remark, they had to accept the truth – none of them truly cared what happened to Kuroko. Keeping her would not only distract them, but bring their pace and progress down. All they were doing were casting an illusion, as if she still had a part in Teiko.

"Perhaps…" Murasakibara finally decided to share his opinion. "Perhaps, Kise-chin was the one that cared most about her amongst all of us."

Midorima Shintaro, annoyed, fixed the position of his spectacles and shot back. "What do you mean, Murasakibara? If I have to add my personal input inside, he's the one that cared least about Kuroko's wellbeing. Think about it, all of you – who was the one that abandoned Kuroko first, amongst this chaos? Who was the one that all of a sudden only focused on polishing his own talents, and detached himself from Kuroko, contradicting his actions when he first entered the club? It was Kise. Out of all people, he has no right to chastise us, or order us around."

"He was attempting to reduce the pain." Zipping his bag shut, Murasakibara sat on one of the benches. "By wearing a façade, we were faking our friendship with Kuro-chin. If we just ignored her from the beginning, she wouldn't be so desperate to cling to us right now." Upon witnessing the dissatisfied expressions of the other two, the purple head averted his eyes. "… At least, that's what I think. If Mido-chin and Aka-chin think differently, then I'm okay with that."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Murasakibara." Midorima said coldly, stepping forward as he set himself in the hallway. "You're not in the position to correct our mistakes."

"I never said I was." Raising his voice, Murasakibara's eyebrows furrowed. "It isn't a spurious statement to say that we were only torturing Kuro-chin with our uncertain behavior."

An intense wave of contempt was exchanged between the two, before Akashi stepped in between and looked at them. "It doesn't matter whether Kuroko is hurt or not to us, does it?" Murasakibara and Midorima flinched dangerously. "The only thing we are all focused on is getting stronger."

"That's not –"

"Enough." Akashi snapped, as he glared viciously at the two. "This discussion is done. I'm going home."

Murasakibara spoke, for the last time that day. "Aka-chin, you really don't care what happens to Kuro-chin now, do you?"

The mere few seconds that Akashi refused to provide a satisfactory response was sufficient for an answer. Murasakibara and Midorima both turned away, both holding their own thoughts and sorrow towards the matter, as Akashi's silent grief went unknown to them.

* * *

It was an understatement to say that Kise Ryouta was the one that could probably relate to Kuroko Tetsuya the most, considering everyone she knew.

He could relate, all right, just in a dissimilar way. Their circumstances differed, for one thing. Kise was about his disposition in his family, while Kuroko was about the team.

Kise Ryouta wanted to create a location in his family – he wanted to be understood, he wanted to be noticed, he wanted to be needed – he wanted to be a valued person. Much to his disappointment, all he could do was play a role in paying back his debtors, slowly making a fill in the hole his mother created. A massive debt she left for them – a debt they were forced to pay.

His family made it seem like he was a necessary piece – because they were a 'family'. Because they possessed an unbreakable bond – that fact alone supported the cause behind Kise's position. And because the blonde had no other to choice to trust them, he continued to work. He ran various part-time jobs, and even upgraded his status as a model.

However, as days and weeks passed by, he came to realize something. As his family regained stability, grew financially steady, the less Kise seemed to be recognized. His sisters had already set out to a bright future spread beautifully in front of them, and his father was finally able to take a rest from his vast workload. The three were perfectly content without him staying there, just like how the four of them proved to be just fine without a motherly figure.

Kise stared outside the bus window. It was raining, and the traffic was terrible. He was stuck in the said green and white vehicle for about thirty minutes, when his house was only ten minutes away. But he didn't have an umbrella either, so his alternative was stolen away.

 _Ah, damn it._ He rubbed the back of his neck regretfully. _Why did I do that? It's not like I would've been as intimidating as Aominecchi, or as convincing as Midorimacchi…_ His mind was still pacing around his actions in the locker room, before he made a quite turbulent exit. "Akashicchi is scary when he gets mad, too…" Sighing, Kise feared the amount of practice that would presumably be doubled due to his moment of dramatic outburst.

A few voices distracted him from his thoughts.

"Shit, that's a lot of rain."

"See, I really would've appreciated the appearance of some stunning girls right now."

"Moriyama, if you don't shut up right now, I'm going to fucking slaughter you."

"Whew, Kasamatsu, so scary."

 _Loud… are they high schoolers?_ Kise took a short glance at the three males that stepped inside the bus, soaked with rainwater. Their gray uniforms read "Kaijo High School". The one that seemed to be going with name of 'Kasamatsu' sat down next to Kise.

"It's your fault that we're here all the way in Tokyo, anyway. Do you know how long it's going to take us to Kanagawa?" The taller and slimmer one among the three shook his head, grabbing the handles above to balance himself on the moving bus.

 _Kaijo… If I remember correctly, it's a basketball powerhouse, isn't it? What are they doing here in Tokyo? Well… not my business, but-_

"Hey, Yukio, isn't the guy you're sitting next to Kise Ryouta from the Generation of Miracles?" The said Kasamatsu Yukio now frowned as he turned to look at Kise. The blonde blinked, as the question wasn't asked to him directly.

"You're right." Kasamatsu nodded. "Hey, nice to meet you."

 _Is that normally how you treat a complete stranger?_ Kise scooted back a little. "… Um, hello."

"To meet one of the Generation of Miracles – see, it was a great thing that we strayed to Tokyo! Hey, you, do you have any plans to join Kaijo?" The one that Kise vaguely remembered as Moriyama, suggested cheerfully. "I think you might be able to attract many cute girls, you know? Your looks and build and all."

"Uh –" Kise then glanced at the door, noticing a second too late that it was his stop. "Sorry, I need to go!" He ran through the closing exit, and dashed through the rain straight towards his house.

However, his mind still loomed around Kuroko, and now Kaijo.

 _Kaijo… huh._

* * *

 **A/N: … Okay, fine. Maybe that wasn't EXTRA long, but it was kind of long. It was a chapter in which Kise's opinion was cleared, and where future plans took a place.**

 **Relax, guys, it's only the beginning of greater angst sessions to come! I have to admit, that more than Aomine and Midorima, this first book is way more concentrated on the other three. But seriously, they're all getting their respective roles later on!**

 **Also, this is just an early heads up, but at the end of this first book, I'll be taking questions from all of you guys. You can ask about really anything, whether it'd be about what you didn't quite understand in the first book, or my plans about the second book (without me spoiling the whole plot to you guys).**

 **And also, this is super random, but yes, there will be yaoi pairs in the second book as well. Look forward to it, please.**

 **Meiko**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: It is not an exaggeration when I say that this was probably one of my most favorite chapters to write about so far.**

 **But please, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

" _Forget about me already."_

 _Rrrrrriiinnnggggg…._

"… Daiki?"

Silence.

"Daiki, don't you need to go to school?"

"… Leave me alone."

 _Three seconds._

"… Alright."

The door made a definite click as it slid against the frame once again. Aomine Daiki, a tanned teenager now in his third and final year of middle school, lied against the wall as he gave his closet a blank look. School. Right. The sight of the Teiko Junior High uniform reminded him that he was actually still a student, not…

Not…

Not what?

The ludicrous thought swelled, as he clutched his bed sheets and sat up properly. It was eight in the morning – practice had long ended, and first period was almost done. _I don't see the point in going anymore._ Turning to his right was a photo he took with his previous homeroom during his second year of junior high. The good days. The days where there were still worthy opponents in existence.

He was at the top.

Without doubt, he had to be the best.

He always wanted to be.

He got what he wanted.

 _And this is all I get._

"This," he whispered, "is all I get." There was a fact he had overlooked before reaching the highest point of this peak. This peak called victory, it was. There was always somebody above him. Always. But he had never come to realize, that once you were the best, there was only something called "below". There was no above, but only below. He had to persevere until someone challenged his position – his solid stance at this summit.

 _But when will that be? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Next year?_

He speculated, imaging himself alone, on the basketball court. The adversary team charging towards him with all their might, and Aomine thrashing across the vicinity, standing side by side to his new opponent. An opponent that could force the hidden strength inside of him – an opponent that could crush him entirely, and tower over his flag of utter disposition and victory.

 _I want to be crushed._ He sounded like one fucking masochist, all right. _I want to be absolutely annihilated and destructed, so much that I can quit basketball. So much that I wouldn't ever need to feel the satisfaction of engaging myself with this sport ever again._ His motivation to play basketball was the unique thrill and excitement it presented him.

Basketball was his life. If someone were to write his biography, the first word and chapter would start with 'Basketball', and the last word and last chapter would end with 'Basketball'. It was such a crucial activity and form to him in his life, that without it, he'd just be a dull teenager wasting away his daily action by napping.

" _Daiki, do you enjoy playing basketball?"_

 _I don't, dad._

"… _Are you still waiting?"_

It was her. It was Kuroko Tetsuya that lightened up his black and white world. Upon entering junior high, Aomine was still skeptical. He was skeptical about joining the basketball club, and sincerely believed that he would never be able to rebuild his compassion towards basketball. He was the Light, and she was the Shadow.

But when the Light started to evolve too quickly, the Shadow couldn't catch up. The Light abandoned her, and the Shadow was alone, no longer a Shadow to anything.

Yes.

He knew.

He knew that he was fucking terrible.

Even terrible wouldn't cut it.

When he responded to her longing question with "What?", he actually knew what she was referring to. He recalled every single second of that moment when he confessed to her, and when she gave her reply. And he waited. He did wait.

It was just that he wasn't waiting anymore.

He didn't know when it all began. When he started losing interest in everything on Earth, including his romantic feelings towards Kuroko. It all started to shatter, evaporate, and finally vanished from his sight – just like everything else in his life did. When he realized what he had done, it was already too late. Kuroko had distanced herself from everyone, and the Generation of Miracles had segregated, and avoided each other's mere existence.

In the end, Nijimura's hypothesis was accurate. They had left her. They disposed her. And now, she was broken. She was no longer their Light, or their Shadow.

She was just… Just an ordinary girl.

"I'm such…" Aomine stared at his plain, beige ceiling. It was plain but flawless and comforting, but unreachable at his current position. Just like how his relationship with Kuroko was intangible. "… An asshole." Covering his eyes with his left arm, Aomine buried his head inside his sheets.

 _What have you done?_

 _What have you done?_

 _What have you_ done _?_

Grudgingly enough, Aomine couldn't answer.

* * *

It was raining. Raining hard.

"Mido-chin, I can't believe you out of all people didn't bring an umbrella. I suppose you only update yourself with those dumb horoscopes, and not weather forecasts?"

"Shut up, Murasakibara. You're not in the position to say anything."

Two boys. The same old two boys were standing under the roof of 'Momo 24-hours' again. They had both decided to stop by the said convenience store for their own purposes (Midorima needed to buy Oha Asa's new lucky item, and Murasakibara needed to buy his siblings' share of ice cream), only to be stopped in their tracks upon heading out, as it began to pour.

Of course, convenience stores had umbrellas and raincoats – but they were all sold out. They were truly lucky.

"Besides, I thought Mido-chin's house was rich. You own a hospital in Tokyo, so why can't you call your personal driver or something?" Murasakibara furrowed his brows – he really despised being alone with the green head, out of all selective people.

Midorima snapped right back. "We don't have a driver. Besides, I thought you had like five hundred siblings? Why can't you ask for one of them to pick you up?"

"Only one of them has a driver's license and a car." Murasakibara grumbled. "But he's banned to partake in any outdoor activities for the next two months. He caused some major trouble for my parents to handle, you see, and now…" He trailed off. He figured that Midorima didn't need to know about his family issues to such an extent.

And of course, Midorima speedily deduced that that was about everything he was going to get from Murasakibara. He wasn't the tiniest bit curious or intrigued by Murasakibara's family conflicts – he was aware, but that was as far as knowledge spread, and he wished it stopped there. He had enough family troubles himself, considering the divorce of his parents, and him cutting off any form of interaction with his father, whom he was currently living with.

Well, not like it mattered, anyway.

Silently, glancing at Midorima as the green head now had began to scan through his biology textbook, Murasakibara opened his mouth. "… Have you talked to Kuro-chin recently?" His slightly shaky voice trembled along with the chill tip-taps of the rain, as it splashed over the cement floor.

"Last week, yes." Midorima lifted his glasses, wiping the fogging glass. His expression was unchanging, solemn. "It was nothing important, though."

"How about Mine-chin?"

Midorima was wordless for a while, upon heeding and processing the question. Him and Aomine had joint classes together, like physical education and everything, which was probably the base of the reason why Murasakibara asked. Despite knowing that, Midorima's intellect tried to connect the two questions. "He has been absent – inattentive, I'd say. Either that he gave up on both basketball and his studies, or that he's just going through some phases. I am assuming it's the combination of both, but," unwrapping his new Oha Asa merchandise, Midorima continued, "it's honestly none of my business."

Murasakibara's silence indicated a soundless note of understanding. As the basis of their relationship had always stood on a rather paranoid disposition, the two were used to these conversations. They were neither meaningful nor valuable – it was just a form of communication. Midorima Shintaro and Murasakibara Atsushi definitely shared an odd bond.

"Say, Mido-chin," his face lowering to face his reflection in the puddle of transparent liquid, Murasakibara mumbled, his words slightly trailing over one syllable after another, "do you remember what happened last year?"

This inquiry piqued Midorima's interest – but he didn't display this openly in the slightest. Instead, he substituted his inquisitive personality with a serene response. "Many events occurred last year, Murasakibara."

"You told me to stop Aka-chin." Without skipping a beat, Murasakibara answered.

 _"Stop Akashi, Murasakibara."_

The distant memories flooding back like a gushing waterfall, Midorima had the inclination to rebut cynically to Murasakibara about how he persisted to actually believe his words – to actually consider Midorima's words seriously, being such a dense material he is. But he didn't do so.

"Yes, I did. What about it?"

"I'm going to do it."

Midorima involuntarily bent down to recollect his off-balance textbook; as for one second he almost dropped his arm that was supporting him, due to the sudden news. His eyes widened significantly, and his breath had now vanished from his senses, as if an invisible beast knocked him down.

"You're going to do what?" It was ever so scarce that Midorima had formatted a question so carelessly, without the use of diffuse vocabulary. Murasakibara did not note this point.

"Stop Akashi." It disconcerted Midorima once more that Murasakibara had resorted to put Akashi's actual name to use. He never did so. He never did. "I'm going to stop Akashi Seijuro." The shooting guard, never during his two and a quarter years with the center of Teiko's starting lineup, had witnessed Murasakibara with such a determined, willful face. The giant never took any occurrence seriously – at least, that's what Midorima had brought himself to conclude.

"Now?" He attempted to recollect his calm posture. But the announcement was so freshly left, echoing repeatedly in his mind like a ringing bell – like a repetitive rhythm that you couldn't resist.

Murasakibara on the other hand, appeared to be perfectly composed with an odd sense of tranquility. This was all so foreign – it was as if their personality traits were switched. "Yeah. Hopefully some time soon, I'll find a chance. And at that moment, I'm going to beat some sense into Akashi."

"It's…" _impossible,_ Midorima thought. But that was already a portion of the past – a fact that was outdated. Murasakibara had long surpassed most of the Generation of Miracles, and now stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Aomine's ability. Akashi, with his current state of mind, was surmountable. Murasakibara was correct – this was the ideal chance they were all waiting for.

"How?" He asked instead.

Murasakibara seemed to be in thought as well. "I didn't plan that far. I'm not very constructive or mindful like Mido-chin anyway."

The said "constructive and mindful" male didn't know what he expected from Murasakibara – but was taken aback by the fact that the purple head had admitted that so easily. Only two years ago, he would've never said so himself, without Midorima throwing such a remark.

"… Right." Midorima nodded a little. "I understand."

"But," Murasakibara quickly intercepted, not wanting Midorima to get the wrong idea, "I do plan on sticking to my word. I have confidence. That… I can defeat Akashi on this challenge. I'm going to…"

"Going to what?"

Shrugging, Murasakibara clumsily put his hands in his uniform pockets. "Make him apologize, I guess. To everything he did to Kuroko." Midorima's puzzled expression made Murasakibara speak further for clarification. "Of course, I know that Akashi's not the only at fault. We all played respective roles in hurting her, or so I think. And… I don't know. Was it absolutely necessary, that we had to separate?"

Midorima had finally fully comprehended Murasakibara's intentions, and what he planned to gain from this battle. It was reconciliation – of the Generation of Miracles. He missed the old days. He yearned to reclaim the place he belonged.

Just like Midorima.

"Murasakibara." His glasses fogged up again, moisture gathering on the glass's surface. "Where do you consider home?" Midorima had never felt truly happy in his whole life. Despite the fact he merely lived around fifteen years, too early to conclusively announce something in life, he had to admit, he never felt true happiness before. His family's disputes made him miserable as a child, and he still held a sense of unforgivable vengeance towards both parents. He never felt he had a safe home. He never felt like he had a place to seek refuge.

Murasakibara didn't seem to be surprised or stunned about the sudden inquiry. He just listened, and closed his eyes decisively, imagining the same answer from Midorima.

"Nowhere." He said. His tone was definitive and solid, like a wall of steel. "But if I have to pick somewhere, then it'd be…"

Midorima didn't need to heed the rest of Murasakibara's response – because he knew it perfectly well himself.

 _If we had to pick somewhere, then it'd be there, where we were still all together._

* * *

A few days later, for the first time in two weeks, Aomine had showed up to practice. Nobody dared to say a single word, not even the Generation of Miracles, about his whereabouts these past few days. It was more like nobody found it quite necessary for them to ponder about such things – there were so many more important concerns they had to deal with, after all. Like the upcoming matches, or the beginning of the Winter Cup for junior high. It was all much more discerning and stressful than the absence of their ace.

Only for the formalities, Akashi questioned Aomine's lack of attentiveness. "Aomine, don't skip out on school too much."

"It's none of your business, Akashi." Dribbling a basketball across the court with a glum expression, Aomine ignored his captain. Even Akashi was too fed up to deal with him – he had plenty to fuss over on his plate. He found it useless to argue further with Aomine concerning this particular problem, and as a result, he looked over it.

It was none of his business, anyway.

Practice resumed, as if nothing happened. Coach Sanada didn't say a word of chiding or of any reprimand, either. He merely stole a glimpse, nodded at Aomine, and returned to concentrate on his paperwork he was required to do in order to sign up for the upcoming matches, as well as regulations of the club.

Even Momoi Satsuki, Aomine's long childhood friend, didn't bother to give him a glance at all. It was almost as if they were strangers that just happened to be in the same club, with no other connections at all.

A practice game began, with the entire first string divided into two teams. The Generation of Miracles were mostly benched, as the coach had decided no extra practice was really essential for them. Although coach Sanada had now resorted to abusing the strength of them and over-relied on their power alone, he couldn't completely ignore and betray the hard work of the rest of the first string. Despite the fact that most members of the Teiko basketball club had came to accept the bitter fact that they were useless compared to the Generation of Miracles, there were still some others that had the blazing determination to play. And as a coach, a instructional figure, coach Sanada couldn't ignore them as well.

It was then, that chaos ensued.

"You could've gotten that one." Aomine clenched his fists together, balling them up in frustration. The game had been stretched out – at least, that's what it must've seemed like to the eyes of the Generation of Miracles. It was getting very draggy, yes, but none of them thought it had to be brought up. Not everyone was at their league, after all.

"I- I mean…" The smaller member shook fearfully upon facing the glowering power forward. "We're not you. Not everyone can save that –"

"WHY _CAN'T_ YOU?!" Aomine grabbed the guy buy the collar, as the latter yelped.

Why were there so many more weak ones than the strong?

Why were people so undetermined to play?

Why?

"Aomine, stop." Akashi hissed. "Violence will not be tolerated on the court."

Aomine had now let the male down on his feet again, as he snorted cynically at Akashi. "There we go, our Mr. Captain acting all high and mighty now. But what can you do? You're weaker than me. Let me daresay, that you might even be the weakest among the current lineup of the Generation of Miracles. It shames my name to be grouped with you, you know."

"Aomine." Akashi sucked in a deep breath of patience. He was trying so hard not to be affected by the latter's words. It was not true. He couldn't be the weakest. "Stop."

 _You have to be absolute…_

"Stop?" It all seemed like a comical joke now. "Stop, for what? Why would I obey your commands, Mr. Captain? What, feel like a dear majesty on your high horse? Do you feel like you have the right to tell me what to do, just because Nijimura fucking left you with that position? Don't talk shit with me, Akashi." It wasn't calmly or sarcastically spoken words – it was slowly getting louder and louder, Aomine's tone rising significantly.

"Aomi –"

"You're just all bitter over the fact that you lost against me." Interrupting the call of his name, Aomine spat. "Lost against Haizaki, too. Getting Tetsu, right? You lost. You're just bitter over that. That I at least got her heads over heels for me, that Haizaki at least befriended her – while you," Akashi's heart was pounding faster and faster, until it became uncontrollable. Anger overwhelmed his whole body, as his breathing hitched. "While you, accomplished nothing."

 _Absolute…_

"Aomine, you're taking this way too far for your own good." Midorima warned, trying to hold the male down. At the same time, he took a cautious glance at Kuroko, who was listening to this conversation, her fingers wrapped around the basketball in her hands, like a precious treasure.

"Stay out of this, Midorima." Aomine harshly pushed the other to the side. "Tell you what, Akashi? I'm quitting practice. Get me fucking out of this hell. Isn't it better? For you, and for me. I don't need to hear you fucking talk shit all the time, and you don't need to see me at all. Great deal, don't you agree? While I go outside and dawdle around, you can order around your peasants all you want, and hey! You can even claim Tetsu for yourself. I won't be here to bother your lovely sweet time. How does it –"

"Kuroko's not your personal toy, Aomine." Akashi finally found his voice. "Don't you dare," Something about his aura changed as his expression darkened drastically. "Degrade or belittle her with such mannerisms. She's not yours to play around with, and she will never be."

"Hoh, mad about that, out of all things? How nice! What are you going to do if I say all I was doing _was_ actually playing around with her? Having some of my fun, I'd say! That yes, I was merely using her as my personal play-around toy," Kuroko's heart internally clenched – "and that I never liked her anyway? But even so, she fell for me! That's what happened, Akashi! I never –"

What occurred next was something that nobody expected.

Aomine was sprawled on the ground, Akashi's fist was outstretched, a resounding thump of skin and skin colliding had spread across the vicinity, and all divided attention was now gathered on one furious Akashi, and one astonished Aomine.

"You fucking bastard." Akashi whispered, venom coating his words. Surrounding others failed to hide their shock – they didn't know what to be more astounded about – the fact that the always cool, unaffected Akashi that kept a unbroken stance no matter what the circumstance, had cursed and jeered at Aomine, knocking the male over, or that Aomine wasn't actually doing in anything in return. "You're a fucking asshole, Aomine." Panting heavily, Akashi lashed his arm in the air with composure of absolute jurisdiction. "Get lost." He said with a hushed tone of finality.

Avoiding the other's fierce glare, Aomine recovered from the attack and stood up. He didn't leave extra commentary on whatever Akashi did – he merely departed from the gym, his footsteps sluggish and hazy.

Behind his steps followed a girl with a rather horrified look that contained a mixture of disbelief, agony, and bittersweet love.

 _How?_ Akashi gritted his teeth. _How can you still follow his trails, after all he said?_ All willpower in his body seemed to be seeping out the tip of his very soul. He felt weak, weaker than he ever had in his whole life – weaker than when he was beaten by his own father endlessly for failing to produce satisfactory results in everything he did. _How can you still love him, Kuroko?_

Amongst his thoughts, a larger figure approached him. Akashi turned, and saw Murasakibara Atsushi looking down on him from above, his usually undetermined, wandering eyes now focused on him, hiding a purpose.

"Are you sure that what Aomine said doesn't include you, too?" Murasakibara spoke so normally, in such an ordinary fashion, that Akashi almost couldn't comprehend the true meaning behind his words. He also almost missed the fact that he wasn't putting his '-chin' suffix to use. "Answer me, Akashi."

His head ached. "I don't know what you're talking about, Murasakibara."

"You know perfectly what I'm talking about." The purple head was speaking with such a confident air, but it wasn't the kind of positive confidence. It was sorrowful, and venomous confidence. The one that someone that held a deadly grudge would contain. "I'm asking, that didn't you considerably play around with Kuroko as well."

Play around? Him? With Kuroko? No, he didn't.

 _He has a point there, though. A remarkable one._

"No, he does not." Akashi murmured aloud, as his inner self began to whisper within. He wanted to deny all this. Deny that this was even happening in the first place.

 _Oh yes, he does. You were playing around with her in an almost discreet sense, worse than Aomine. Hah, well, not like you would've noticed anyway. You cursed her with your spell, Akashi, my dear other self. See, you can't handle this situation by yourself._

A light shone upon another boy that was sitting with cool certainty flowing out of his body. Red hair, hetero-eyed, looking exactly like Akashi, revealing his inner voice, and his said other self.

The other Akashi Seijuro – that was him.

He smiled with nonchalant triumph, as he extended his hand towards Akashi.

 _Why not leave this to me, Akashi?_

"No…" Akashi trembled, as he grasped the hem of his own shirt. "I refuse… to be taken over by –"

"I challenge you, Akashi." Murasakibara mumbled, breaking his minor moment.

"Fight me."

 _You'll need me for this Akashi…_

 _Would you really refuse my offer to be taken over by me?_

* * *

It was raining outside, again.

But Kuroko Tetsuya still ran, ripping through the falling bullets of liquid that seemed to behave like a hundred pairs of hands that were holding her back.

 _Aomine-kun._

" _Toy."_

 _Aomine-kun._

" _Never loved…"_

 _Aomine-kun._

" _Lied."_

 _Aomine-kun._

" _I never…"_

 _Please._

 _Aomine-kun._

 _Please._

 _Please._

"Please."

A male turned around, expressionless, drenched in water. His hands were placed by his sides as if he cared less about what happened to them, liquid trickling down his tanned skin, his indigo eyes holding no emotion whatsoever – but Kuroko saw it – was it regret? Was that a feeling of bitterness? Did he feel any kind of grief over the words he blurted out to her? Or did he not care anymore, just like how he was treating everyone?

So many questions swirled around her mind.

Was the warmness she could sense on her face the rain, or her tears? Was the pain that gradually took over her because she was physically exhausted, or because she didn't want to believe what Aomine said a few minutes ago was true? Were her lips quivering because she was running out of breath, or because she was trying to hold back her cries? Were her legs shaking because they were worn out from the sudden dash, or because she simply didn't have any energy remaining after that conversation?

Was her heart broken because she had never experienced love, or because of Aomine?

She couldn't tell anymore.

"What are you here for?" Aomine's tone sounded neither angry nor despondent. It was a boring monotone, indicating that he probably couldn't care more or less about how she felt at the moment. There was not even the slightest hint of consideration. Kuroko clutched the area near her chest.

 _Please._

"Is it true?" Her voice didn't resemble her at all. Even her own voice, her own words, her own syllables – they all seemed foreign and unlike her. "What you said –"

"Yes."

 _Don't._

No hesitation. No wavering.

No regret.

She had to hold it back. Fight it back. The tears, the cries, the pain, the sorrow, the everything-

"Do you remember how to catch my passes?"

"No."

 _Please._

"Do you remember how we used to play?"

"No."

 _Don't._

"Do you remember how we used to go home together?"

"No."

 _Aomine-kun._

"Do you remember how we used to eat ice cream together?"

"No."

 _I_

"Do you remember anything about me?"

"No."

 _Love_

"Do you remember that you loved me?"

 _You._

"No."

* * *

 **A/N: … Yeah. The end.**

 **Anyway, please tell me how you felt about everything this chapter. I personally liked writing it.**

 **Meiko Atsushi**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N – Apparently, Haizaki only calls Murasakibara, Kise, Aomine, and Kuroko by their given names – and that's why Haizaki won't call Akashi 'Seijuro', or Midorima 'Shintaro'. Just a small note.**

 **And by the way, if there are gazillions of mistakes in this chapter, it's because the author is currently on the way to hell's double doors after a hellish 4-hour session of community service. (MY BACK IS LITERALLY BREAKING IN TWO LIKE OH MY GOD)**

 **Also, the** _italicized_ **font in this chapter is either thoughts, or Akashi's inner self talking. Just in case some people can't tell what they are.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

" _You never, ever have to say sorry to me. Not because I don't need it, but because I..."_

 _She sure is taking a long time…_

Glancing restlessly at his cheap leather watch, Haizaki bit his bottom lip as he waited for the usual female to arrive in front of the school gates. The rain was pouring harder and harder, each drop falling harshly against the murky soil that was forming brown puddles that reflected the thundering sky.

"Fuck it all." He clutched his umbrella tightly and ran towards the first gymnasium – where the basketball club always practiced, precisely the first string. As his footsteps hit the ground faster and faster, his concerns grew and eventually almost imploded within his mind. The fact that she wasn't even messaging him like always when she wasn't available, or how the sky wasn't clearing for hours, or how the female always seemed to forget her umbrella on these days – something didn't sit right for him, and he didn't like it.

As he edged closer to the gym, he gradually slowed down his pace, only to see Kise Ryouta, leaning on the quite moist walls of the gym, his expression dull and containing no emotion.

"Ryouta," the called blonde raised his head upon heeding his given name, "did you see Te –" Haizaki paused for a while, lowering his hand as the left corner of his lips curled up and went back down in discomfort. "Did you see Kuroko?"

Kise, for the first few seconds, frowned in confusion, many thoughts enrapturing his mind. But eventually, he smirked. "You don't need to act all foreign and formal. Everyone knows that you're close to Kurokocchi nowadays. Nothing to hide – in front of me, out of all people."

Haizaki irked, the base behind his hesitation revealed. "Why are you out here?"

"I ran away."

The other blinked at Kise's terse response. "What?"

"I ran away." The new small forward smiled at the former one, repeating his reason. "It's too overwhelming for me in there, you see." He pointed his thumb jokingly at the double doors to the gym. "Murasakibaracchi provoked Akashicchi. And now…" Flipping his bangs over to the side, Kise didn't continue. "Aominecchi is gone. Kurokocchi followed him."

Just when Haizaki was about to ignore the first portion of the blonde's explanation and run after the said directions, Kise opened his mouth again.

"You know, Haizaki." His golden eyes flickered dark brown under the shadow of the roof. "I envy you."

 _What's this bull shit now?_ Haizaki scowled, not particularly interested in what Kise had to say. "Why?" But since the blonde seemed all fucking sentimental, he decided to hear what he had to rant about. He never witnessed such a dejected state of model – so why not? Just… listen in a little, and then leave to see Kuroko. Sounded good.

"You're…" Kise gripped the flat surface – the ungraspable surface. "You're a part of the old generation. The old Generation of Miracles." He forced a bitter smile on his handsome face. "A period I wasn't a part of."

"And so are you." Putting one hand in his pocket, Haizaki frowned, puzzled. "You're a part of something I'm not. The current Generation of Miracles."

The so-called _current_ Generation of Miracles chuckled, as if this was all good humor. But Haizaki knew too well, that that kind of chuckle was not the usual happy-go-lucky kind. It was a cover. A well-made façade, crushing. Crushing under an unknown pressure – a pressure that had slowly built up, and annihilated his state of mind, his conscience.

That kind of chuckle.

It was disturbing. Haizaki despised it, as a matter of fact.

"That's a great point," inhaling, Kise continued, "but not a point I was trying to make."

Impatiently, Haizaki tapped his foot on a puddle, the water splashing up and down according to the rhythm. "Well, I'm not clairvoyant. Say what you gotta say, and I need to go."

"I'm saying," Kise rushed a little, at Haizaki's words. "That maybe, just _maybe_ , I would've been able understand better… what was going on, and everything. Kurokocchi, Murasakibaracchi, Akashicchi, Midorimacchi, and Aominecchi – they're all like strangers to me, just because I missed out that single year. And now I have nearly no clue what is going on –"

"But what _is_ going on?" Haizaki intercepted, realizing that he was running out of time. "Ryouta, look. If you're jealous of me because you think I am able to comprehend that shit that Akashi and Atsushi are going on about, I don't know. And trust me, it's not worth fussing over. If you're not involved, stay the fuck out of it. That's all I can say." With that, he ran, and Kise presumed he was rushing towards Kuroko.

 _It's not worth fussing over, huh._ Kise blankly spread his hand out towards the rain. The icy droplets created a small water show on his palm, the liquid bouncing up and down, wetting his fingers. "Am I really worrying myself over this too much?" He whispered to nobody in particular. "Is it wrong that I am?" Clenching his saturated palm, the blonde breathed in the damp air. "Am I meddling with something I can't handle in the first place?" His voice seemed to tremble with a low vibrato, his inner self not wanting to accept the truth.

But reality attacked him, bit him, and devoured him anyway.

He was useless.

"The Generation of Miracles, they say." Laughing with empty comicality, Kise covered his eyes as he slumped down on the slightly moist floor. "They're not even close." His breathing hitched, as he attempted to fake his falling tears as rain beneath his fingers.

"Not even close."

* * *

"Fight me."

The whole court rung with tension. Some doubted their ability to hear, while some quietly watched the whole scene as mere bystanders. This was Murasakibara Atsushi challenging Akashi Seijuro – an occurrence nobody imagined, except maybe a few. No – even the closest of people didn't understand what was going on, except the aloof Midorima Shintaro.

"What's the point?" Akashi demanded, his voice still raspy. He was quite drained already from the previous altercation he suffered with Aomine. Surely, he was not expecting the purple-headed giant to suggest this unfavorable situation.

"I'd call it a deal. A fair one."

The red head was not willing to heed this 'challenge' further. The odd voice that was speaking to him in his brain, Aomine's accusations and lies – he had a sufficient amount of conflicts with people. But he replied anyway. "Let's hear it."

Murasakibara leaned down a little to match Akashi's ear. At first, the red-haired boy perceived it as mocking form of action because of their immense height difference, only to realize that Murasakibara didn't want their so-called 'deal' to be announced to the world.

"Don't interfere with Kuro-chin's life."

The words hit him in quite an unimaginable fashion. Interfere? With whose life?

"Murasakibara –"

"Don't hurt her like that." He went on, as if Akashi was already a nonexistent figurine in this conversation. "Promise me that you won't hurt her again if I win this match." His face shifted to be directly in front of Akashi's astonished one. The purple orbs in front of him held no jest in the slightest. For a challenger's eyes, Murasakibara Atsushi's seemed more nostalgic and despondent rather than fierce. "Please." He added weakly, a flash of moroseness fleetingly hovering over the surface of purple. The taller boy squeezed Akashi's shoulder. The red head wasn't able to understand the hidden meaning behind that squeeze.

"That's an allegation." The point guard said, inhaling the air of the rubbery court. "What kind of proof do you have to support your claim?"

Murasakibara twitched, his left eye wincing for a millisecond. "You…" _made her cry._

"Why are you excluding Aomine from this?"

"He's a different matter. It was… inevitable." Running four fingers through his hair, the giant's thumb massaged his temples. He no longer cared whether his words made sense – he just wanted everything to stop. He wanted Aomine to stop being so insensitive, he wanted Akashi to stop being so insecure, he wanted Midorima to simply be annoying like he always was, not agreeing with him on odd terms, he wanted Kise to just be happy-go-lucky, not having to worry about their troubles that he wasn't a part of, and Murasakibara himself just wanted everything to go back to normal, and finally…

He wanted Kuroko to be happy.

Akashi was silent for a while. "… I accept. What do I get if I win, instead?"

The sluggish male turned his back towards the latter, walking towards the opposite side of the gym. "I'll stop pestering you about this matter. I'll never bring it up again, and I swear it will stay that way." Pausing for about two seconds, Murasakibara twisted his head to look back at Akashi. "How does that sound?"

"Good." Signaling to Midorima, Akashi caught the basketball that was thrown to him. Only the rhythmic sound of the round object bouncing up and down was echoing throughout the atmosphere, as everyone soon became an audience, and the starring actors being Akashi and Murasakibara.

 _You'll need me._

"Please, do me a favor and shut up." Akashi whispered, but the voice kept talking back to him.

 _You're too weak right now. You don't even have the resolve to awaken me… I hope this match becomes a helpful catalyst to the beginning of the fire._

The ball felt heavy as he dribbled it with the tip of his fingers. He subconsciously bit his bottom lip, attempting to calm his nerves, thinking of a way to resolve this deal peacefully. His sane mind was whispering to him that this must've been a misunderstanding, that he couldn't have been playing a discreet part in 'hurting' Kuroko, that Murasakibara was to be proven wrong, that-

But is it really so?

Amidst his small daydream, Murasakibara was in front of him, ready to steal the ball. Instinctively, Akashi lowered his knees and pushed the ball to his left, only to realize that Murasakibara had already caught it and scored. His eyes widened in disbelief, staring at Murasakibara as he landed on the ground with a 'thump'. The other player's expression held no triumph, no sense of victory.

He was serious.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Akashi's not standing a chance…"

"Dude, Murasakibara already scored three points…"

"What was the deal?"

"I don't know, they were whispering and all…"

Akashi panted, his right hand- no, was it his left? Did it really matter? One of his hands was clutching chest, his head ringing like crazy, and his 'opponent's' gigantic shadow was looming over him.

He was being cornered.

He was being beaten.

He…

Was…

Losing.

 _See? I told you, you'd need me._

"I don't."

 _No, you do. You're losing terribly. Can you believe it? Four to zero! Terrific, don't you think?_

"Shut the hell up." Akashi exhaled, his breath hot and staccato-like.

 _I really wonder what father would say. That you're a failure? A mistake that is too late to even be corrected? Ah, well, I suppose that's a little humiliating on my part too, since we are considerably the same-_

"We are not." Akashi trembled. What was this emotion? This unrecognizable feat? Fear? Animosity? No, this was…

Relinquishment.

 _In the shadows, the two meet. One is Akashi Seijuro, and the other too, is Akashi Seijuro. The one that was always covered in darkness is now under the limelight, standing. The one that was always shining is now cowering under the invisible pressure. His role is done here. Their fingers intertwine, and the new Akashi Seijuro pushes forward…_

A new aura surrounds the red head. The atmosphere is different.

"Atsushi."

Murasakibara flinched at the new sensation.

"Don't underestimate me."

The 'new' Akashi Seijuro is nothing but a flash upon his eyes, as he surmounts his ability in a mere second, as Murasakibara drops to the ground, shivering.

"For I," A smile. An unusual smile.

"Am absolute."

It was the first page of a new era.

* * *

"Tetsuya!"

Haizaki Shogo shouted under the rain. For some reason, the situation of the downpour was not improving, but worsening as minutes went by – as if to describe an unheard sorrow. And Haizaki knew exactly what 'unheard sorrows' were, and what they could do to people. He didn't like them.

 _Damn it, where is she…_ He clucked his tongue – it was practically useless carrying around an umbrella as he was half-saturated with rainwater from running around at this point, but he didn't know when he would ever need it. He dialed her number once again but it went directly to her voicemail, and nobody from the club knew where she was. "Tetsu –"

That's when he spotted a petite figure crouching beside a bridge, sitting on the grass as she hugged her knees close to her chest. Her hair was drooping down, her shirt was long wet, and she was just sitting there, not even bothering to avoid the rain. Haizaki dashed towards her side – something was not right, and he knew it.

"Tetsuya, what are you doing here? Are you _insane_? You're definitely going to catch a cold after this, and I'm not going to be responsible for it." He put her umbrella over her head that was buried in her arms. She wasn't responding. Her whole body was still and lifeless, as if she had lost all motivation to do anything. "Tetsuya, you know I can't possibly carry you. You're too heavy." He was joking, of course.

But the girl remained motionless. The weight on Haizaki's shoulders increased at the dull reaction. He bit the inner part of his cheek in slight panic and fear. His hand inched closer to her body. It was cold. "Tetsuya." He spoke, this time a little more softly, a little more sincerely. "Look at me." Gently cupping her ear, Haizaki tried to get the female's attention.

The girl didn't look up, but her fingers trailed up to clutch Haizaki's wrist that was in contact with her skin. The small fingertips were shaking, and the boy was certain that it couldn't just be because she was freezing. Her breathing was now more audible – it was almost as if she was having difficulties trying to keep everything under control.

 _No,_ Haizaki corrected himself, _she_ can't _keep them under control._ That's what it was.

He pulled her wet, shivering figure closer to his warmth, and took off his uniform jacket and wrapped it over her shoulders. Then with ease, he pushed her behind him and gestured her to get on his back. "Let's go home. I brought your stuff."

She hesitated a little, and glanced at him. "… I can walk."

"Any average being can walk, Tetsuya." Haizaki rolled his eyes, tapping his hand on the ground, urging her to get on. "I'm not that much of an asshole to let a crying girl walk in the rain with a male friend when she's soaked already. Come on, my knees are aching."

With another second of reluctance, the teal-haired girl made up her mind and got on his back. She was lightly lifted off the ground, as Haizaki gave her the umbrella to hold over the both of them, as Haizaki had his own bag and Kuroko's belongings to carry – along with the girl herself.

The two 'friends' shuffled along in silence, none of them willing to break the ice. Haizaki wanted Kuroko to have some time clear her clouded thoughts, so that she'd actually know what to say when he asked her a decent question. Actually, it was fine if she didn't know what to say. The crucial point was that she was actually saying _something_.

When they were about halfway there to reaching her apartment, Haizaki's lips parted to speak.

"So… what happened?"

Her feet dangled next to his legs as he trudged through the rain. "… I… talked to Aomine-kun." The words were muffled, as she was talking against his neck. The contact of skin tickled, but he could care less as long as she was fine.

"Oh yeah?" He tried to sound engaging – and yes, he was very concentrated on every single action of the girl. The way of how her uneven breaths changed from a staccato rhythm to a more relaxing legato, or how she would occasionally tap her fingers on his shoulders, and then clench them again, as if she was desperately searching for emotional reliance. He could picture her expression, even without having to turn around and actually look at it. Her eyes would be slightly watery, but still very gloomy. Her lips would be dry despite the dampness surrounding them, and her skin would look dark under the shadows, although sickly pale at the same time.

She'd be having that exact same face when she was thinking about Aomine Daiki.

"I asked him whether he remembered how to catch my passes, whether he remembered our memories together, whether he remembered us eating ice cream after school, and…" He could tell what was coming next. Funny, because he wasn't supposed to be clairvoyant, according to what he told Kise. "And I asked him whether he remembered liking me."

A poison arrow pierced a small area near his heart, forcing upon an agonizing 'pang' to hit his chest. He lowered his eyes, her hair tracing various watermarks on his bare skin. _Hold yourself together, Haizaki Shogo._ His tongue rubbed painfully against the sharp edge of his teeth. _This isn't about you, but her._

"And what did he say?" Oddly enough, he felt like he knew the answer to this too.

"He said no."

Something bubbled inside of him, as he tightened his grip on the girl's legs. "To which one?"

"All of them."

He stopped moving. It wasn't because he was particularly startled or shocked. In fact, it was exactly what he had expected and hypothesized of what would've occurred. But that was also exactly why he was experiencing the stirring of something beneath the surface of his sanity – the fact that he was _correct_. That Aomine said fucking no to everything, that he probably would've said it with his nonchalant, arrogant tone of his, his expression unchanging, his _fucking_ tanned hands in his pockets, leaving the girl shattered into a trillion something pieces with knowing _perfectly well_ that he did.

Everything about it pissed him off.

But he continued walking. He was now at the front gate of the apartment. The security guard let them in without a single word, only eyeing Kuroko worriedly as he opened the gates. Haizaki would've nodded assuredly at him or something – only if he wasn't so damn infuriated right now.

He didn't dare to utter another word until he reached her house. Kuroko's parents weren't there – again. After her grandmother returned to the countryside, the times of where the girl was alone at home increased a huge amount. He dropped her bag on the counter, and put her down near the couch. "Stay here." He mumbled, and stumbled in slippery feet to grab a towel and some dry clothing. "Wear that. I'll brew some hot coffee – you like it sweet, don't you?" She gave him a curt nod, as she received the clothing and towel without another sentence of complaint.

Despite the quite disturbing yet comforting point that this wasn't his house, Haizaki pretty much knew it as well as his own. It's been nearly a year since he started visiting daily, after all. His parents and Kuroko's parents contacted each other often, so Kuroko's parents miraculously did trust their daughter to be with him, setting aside his uncanny reputation.

He poured the black instant coffee into the cups, adding three extra cubes of sugar into Kuroko's. He didn't like it too bitter either, but he was in the mood for it.

When he was back in the living room, Kuroko had already changed into the clothes he randomly chose and threw to her. The towel was hung over her head, as if she was too worn out to even dry herself off properly. He could easily deduce this from how the water was clearly dripping from her hair. He sighed lightly, as he yanked the towel off her head and rubbed it one more time against the roundish surface.

"Am I your mom, or what?" He grumbled, although he actually wasn't that annoyed to begin with.

"… Haizaki-kun, I'm sor –"

Just when she was about to apologize, Haizaki wrapped his hand around her mouth, the soggy towel still in his hold as he clamped it to her lips. "Don't say that cursed word." She blinked. "I hate it when you say that to me, you know." Lowering the cloth, he flung it to the side.

"Then at least let me thank you." She insisted, but the male didn't even budge.

"I'm doing this because I want to. I don't see the reason why you need to show gratitude for what I want to do, Tetsuya." He pressed the cup as it glided smoothly on the glass table towards her, Kuroko's gaze still on his every movement. "Drink up. I don't want you to catch a cold."

Her attention shifted to her coffee, in which the sugar had already mixed in with the bitter substance. Sipping the beverage with caution, Kuroko brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Haizaki-kun." Her voice was groggy – he was stunned that he didn't notice it earlier. Was it because of the rain? "Was I playing around on the dance floor by myself again?" Setting the cup down on the table, Kuroko hugged her legs again, just like when Haizaki found her alone, next to the bridge. He didn't respond, but just listened. "Was I…" Her syllables became shortened; she concealed her teal orbs beneath her hands that seemed like it belonged to miniature doll. "Was I the one at fault again?"

His lips twisted in ridicule. "What did you say?" He was not feeling this extreme amount of lividness because of Kuroko – it was because it merely angered him and pissed him off so much that Aomine Daiki (that fucking asshole) was causing the girl to _think_ like _this_. The girl shouldn't be blaming herself for all the nonsense that had been spurted from the tanned ganguro. She shouldn't. Ever.

Her fingers dug into her scalp. "I was waiting. I knew it was absolutely _hopeless_ that he would _ever_ like me back, but somewhere deep inside, I was hoping he would come back to where _I_ was waiting in _his_ place, to where he _said_ he would be waiting a few years ago, waiting for _me_ , and no one else. Idiotic, isn't it?" Her broken laugh punctured Haizaki's state of mind. "Even right at this moment, when I can't think straight, I _know_ that somewhere inside my haphazard conscience that I am hoping and holding onto that spurious dream that he'd like me back, like I wished someday. He never liked me. He never, he never… hah…" She was fighting back her tears as she exhaled that excruciating breath. Haizaki could see it. She was trying so hard, but he could see it anyway.

"Tetsuya." His voice was deep, and painted with concern. He was glad that his clothes were somewhat dry, too. "Nobody's here, but us." He made sure that his touches were gentle, so that it'd almost go unnoticed. Then quite roughly, he brought her head to his chest, and once again, for the third time, wrapped his arms to provide the least of comfort to the girl. His strong, willful body would be her personal haven, and he would be her first and final guardian of this haven.

At first, she didn't say anything. Haizaki went on.

"Let them fall, Tetsuya." His fingers ran through her smooth, silky hair that cascaded down her back. "You know I wouldn't mind."

It began with short sniffles. Then choking whimpers that gradually became restrained sobs, and then finally agonizing cries. Her thin pair of arms wrapped desperately around his upper torso, as she clenched his shirt, weeping loudly. He drew circles on her back with his palm, closing his own eyes as he buried his face in her shoulder. Her cries were always so reserved, so restrained, still holding so much emotion and wounded pride, that he always felt like crashing down, barely containing enough energy to stand himself – to support her.

But this one was different. She was literally breaking down mentally and physically in front of him, bawling and crying her heart out. Her sobs held so much pain, and they were so sore and so regretfully bitter; that he felt like it was destroying him – obstructing his stability from the inside. His igniting anger towards Aomine was swept aside for the moment being, as he focused on holding the girl in front of him with all his might.

"It's okay," he said shakily, although he knew that it wasn't. "It's okay, Tetsuya." His sturdy physique trembled under her piercing voice that was starting to crack. His beloved, his crush, the girl that was currently his most important person in the entire galaxy was crashing and burning into ashes, and all he could do was caress that ash and hold it dearly, desperately begging the heavens that even that pile of ash wouldn't vanish right into nothing in front of his eyes.

"Haizaki-kun," her arms moved down, still hugging him tight. "Please promise me that you won't leave me alone…" His eyes widened significantly at her plead. "Even if this whole world turns their backs on me, please stay by my side…" He doubted that she was aware of what she was saying. She was probably just desperate for somebody to lean on, somebody that she could reach for help when needed. There was no romantic feeling of any sort involved with this, and he already knew that deep down to the bone.

But it was okay.

"I won't leave you." _I won't leave you for shit, Tetsuya, ever._ He held her even closer. "I promise."

Then after a few seconds, Kuroko spoke again. "Thank you, Shogo-kun." Her voice slightly wavered, as her fingers wrapped around his sides once again.

Haizaki breathed in the smell of vanilla from her hair, as he opened his eyes were slightly, and then closed them.

"Don't be."

* * *

 **A/N: … HaiKuro for more than 2,400 words… wow.**

 **But finally, the climax of this story has begun. Akashi's other self has awakened – look forward to how different this Akashi is going to be from the actual Akashi I had portrayed and showed for the past 16 chapters.**

 **This first book is almost done. I think I only have about five or six more chapters to go…**

 **And will Haizaki stick to his promise?**

 **Hm…**

 **Anyway, reviews are welcomed!**

 **Meiko Atsushi**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I realized that many of you were saying that you didn't understand Murasakibara's sudden affection towards Kuroko, so I thought I'd explain that in this chapter a little. For those that thought drama was pouring in previous chapters – no worries, this chapter is a little calmer. You can relax your waterfalls and just read.**

 **From hereon, the 'first' persona of Akashi would be referred as 'Akashi', and the 'second' form would be 'Seijuro' in my narrations. But the two would address each other differently – 'Akashi' would refer to the other as 'Seijuro', and 'Seijuro' would refer to the other as 'Akashi'. As you all know, the second persona of Akashi has the habit to address others as their given names, and I just thought that he probably wouldn't call himself by his given name… so yeah, the second persona of Akashi calls previous Akashi 'Akashi', vice versa. It'll probably make more sense when you read it.**

 **P.S. – The true reason why our adorable giant receives so much attention is because he is my favorite character. But hey, I'm human! It's normal to give your favorite character some spotlight!**

 **I would ask for reviews, but to be honest, I don't have the nerve to. This chapter is so… I don't know, this chapter is like me spreading a fine layer of backstory so that everything would make more sense in the sequel – it doesn't affect the current plot too much. I hope you guys would enjoy the process of the revelation of Midorima's family.**

 **But anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

" _There was only so much I could do. Only so much… only so much."_

The rain had stopped.

It was eight in the evening, and the school gates were closed.

Murasakibara Atsushi was in luck that it was a Friday.

"Hey, you!" The guard yelled out, "What are you doing? Hurry up and get yourself home! Geez, middle schoolers nowadays…" He grumbled, seeming like he was in a rather foul mood – but the same could be said about the purple head.

"Right." Murasakibara mumbled, his right hand's grip tightening around the clasp of his bag. "I'll be going, sorry." Taking a step forward, he began walking out of school. He had lost track of time in the locker rooms, after his terse conversation with Midorima as practice ended with a thick air of discomfort.

" _What have you done?" Midorima demanded – he was not satisfied. Akashi had suddenly proclaimed the permission of all proficient players being allowed to skip practice when desired – if they could still produce top-notch results. "I thought you said you were going to stop Akashi, not cheer him on."_

 _The purple head didn't utter a single word._

" _You worsened the situation. You didn't even leave it as it was – you made it_ worse _. Now Akashi's acting all out of personality, and I have no clue what is going on. Can't you see? You triggered this, Murasakibara." His words were as sharp and piercing as a well-made blade._

 _Gritting his teeth, Murasakibara fought back the desire to argue. He had no right. What Midorima was saying was nothing but correct and perfectly reasonable. He did make it worse. He wasn't expecting in the slightest that Akashi's ability would backfire his plan. No, it wasn't even a well-thought out plan in the first place. He didn't possess the type of intellectual insight like Midorima – he should've known that the chance of success was 50:50._

 _The green head, appearing to be slightly infuriated, balled his fists and departed the locker room._

"I messed up…" Covering his thin eyes with his enormous hands, Murasakibara stood in front of the bus stand. "I messed up hard." His lengthy purple hair tickled his jawline, and his uniform jacket hung heavily on his shoulders. He believed he never felt this much regret over something he had done – ever. Sure, he had felt guilt, he had felt sorry, and he had felt all kinds of apologetic forms of emotions regarding a situation like this. But this had been classified on a wholly different level – he was feeling regret, remorse, repentance, shame…

It was incomparable to all emotions he had experienced previously.

This wasn't like stealing a pencil from a convenience store. It wasn't like blaming someone else for the wrongdoings you did. It wasn't like forgetting to do something that someone asked.

It was about breaking someone, completely transforming someone, and shattering a relationship.

Murasakibara Atsushi had so determinedly accomplished those all in one day, for six different people, including himself.

"Hey, aren't you getting on, boy?" A familiar-faced bus driver tipped his cap upward, frowning.

He blinked his eyes about twice, until he finally realized what was going on. "Sorry, yes. I am." Staggering up the steep stairs, he released the coins he held in his left hand into the plastic box, and took a seat next to the window, at the way back of the vehicle. A lot of businessmen were standing around, but he was the only student present.

Suddenly, his phone went off – the purple head considered the option of ignoring it, but cancelled the thought after glancing at the caller ID. It was Murasakibara Soji – the second eldest. "Soji nii-san?"

" _Atsushi, are you on your way home?"_

"Yeah…" He trailed off, running his fingers through his sticky hair. The humid atmosphere of the bus wasn't helping. "Why?"

" _Toshi-aniki ran off. Mom and dad are furious right now, but Shibuki… well, you know Shibuki, don't you? He's off with his friends to study, because the finals are coming up in a few months' time. I'm busy here with my essay, and Miyuki's with her boyfriend. So I was wondering…"_

"If I could go fetch Toshi-aniki." Closing his eyes, Murasakibara finished the dreary sentence. "Got it."

" _You should. I mean, just think of it as another chore. That's one of the only things you're good at, right? Doing chores. Oh, I guess you're okay at basketball too –"_

"Soji nii-san." His head ached. He wasn't in the mood to simply play along with his brother's mocks, or to play hide-and-seek with his eldest brother. "I got it. Can I go now?" _Peacemaker. I have to be the peacemaker._ Silently convincing himself of the role, Murasakibara repeated the sentence in his head over and over again.

He could hear nothing for a while at the other side of the line. Finally, after about fifteen seconds, Soji replied.

"… _Alright. I'll leave it to you."_

Turning his phone off, Murasakibara wished he had never picked up the phone. No – actually, that wouldn't help anything – his family would've found _some_ reason to send him outside to go search for Toshi. Because everybody else was preoccupied, because he was the youngest, because he had the least to deal with, because looked like he had absolutely nothing to do, because he somehow held responsibility for Toshi's dissolute behavior, because it was a Friday, because they were a family – all those, even.

" _This station is Akiba Shrine. For those that are getting off, please use…"_

Pressing the buzzer, Murasakibara stood up groggily from his seat. The bus driver raised a brow.

"You getting off here today?" He asked curiously, habitually tipping his cap once more. "You usually get off at the clinic, don't you?"

He felt appreciated in a sense, that the driver remembered his usual destination. He could bet all his saved money in his bank account that even his family didn't care that much. "Special day." Smiling weakly, the boy stepped out of the bus, nodding at the driver as the older man waved.

In all honesty, even the boy himself was uncertain why he chose to get off at this particular station. The main defense for his arbitrary action was probably because there were many bars nighttime business stores around the area.

Flamboyant lights flashed in all colors as the boy entered the sinful district. Poppy music was playing on the highest volume in the background, and varieties of men wobbled on their feet, at least one woman with one piece too less of clothing giggling at their sides. He stopped walking at the closest store called _Tsuki Yume_ and tried to censor everything that was occurring in his surroundings.

The manager eyed the boy suspiciously, before he opened his mouth. "Lad, if you're going to come here, at least try to look convincing for an adult."

"I'm here to get someone." His voice digging into the suffocating vicinity, the boy continued to speak. "By any chance, is there a customer that goes by the name 'Murasakibara Toshi'?"

Flipping through the list of names, the manager scanned it – and nodded. "Yes, there is. Are you his…" Trying to make a smart guess, the man thinned his eyes. "Brother?" Murasakibara had to hold back the urge to just drag his brother out of that damned place and barge back home.

"Yes." He said, impatiently. "Can you go get him for me? Relay the message the mom and dad are pretty mad right now."

Stifling a humored chuckle, the manager gave him another compliant nod. His nametag read 'Yusuke'. "Very well. I'll go talk to him. In the mean time, please, make yourself home at the couch over there. A pretty small home we can offer for underage students." Murasakibara did as he was told, upon waiting for his brother's arrival.

A family. Was this what a family was supposed to be doing? The fleeting image of a certain girl swept past his mind, like a shot of electricity down his back. Squeezing his eyes shut, Murasakibara swatted the image out of his head. Did he have the right to consider her situation? It was all like a funny amorphous idea – Kuroko Tetsuya.

"Atsushi, why'd you come here?" The drawling voice of his brother sent a cringe throughout his whole body. Oh boy, he was drunk. "I ( _hic_ ) told fucking Shibuki to not tell ( _hic_ ) on me…" His head dangled on his neck, a wet cigarette soaked in beer in his mouth.

The youngest Murasakibara sighed. He wrapped his brother's right arm around his lean shoulders, and dragged him out of the bar. "Let's go home. Mom and dad are not happy." _And I don't want to be involved in your shit._ He mentally added, not daring to say it aloud. Toshi burped and hiccupped continually – it almost seemed never-ending.

He ranted on for half of the trip. About his life, his honor, his problems, all the riots he was involved in previously, and how his parents were a bother… things that Murasakibara precisely did not care about in the slightest. But then his brother went absolutely silent, his head hanging low. Then he began talking, his voice groggy.

"… Hey, Atsushi." It was an almost unrecognizable tone. "Are you going to leave this house?"

The purple head contemplated on this for a while. Was he going to leave this house? He's been living here ever since he had recalled. It was technically his only physical home in existence. Did he want to leave? Finally, he was able to answer. "I don't know." Gulping, he took in a deep breath and continued walking.

"You should leave." Toshi grunted, his breath reeking of traces of alcohol and remnants of the cigar. Murasakibara tried to ignore the lipstick marks that were surfacing the collar of his button-down shirt. "There's nothing good about this family, Atsushi… Nothing good…" It was quite sardonically comical, hearing this from his brother that had received all the loving attention from their parents. He was the supposedly perfect genius that was proficient at everything he did. "It was never a family." He went on, "So tattered…" Hiccup. "So messed up. Do you know what the sad thing is? That we're also used to it. We don't try to pursue a new relationship – a rejuvenated bond… Like Soji. He's given up long ago… don't blame him. He has a lot on his shoulders…" He rambled on like that until they reached their destination.

As soon as the parents caught sight of the half-conscious Toshi, they started throwing a rampage on how insane the son was. Shibuki was back home in his room, and Soji was just watching television in the living room – Miyuki was texting her boyfriend, and nobody seemed to care about Toshi's dire circumstances of things.

 _Tattered… huh._ He stumbled up the stairs, passing his siblings' rooms, opening the door to his own room, still able to hear the chiding of his parents. Sitting down in front of his laptop, he searched up 'High schools away from Tokyo'. Scrolling through the page, he scanned the variety of schools.

 _I'll go far, far away from this place…_ Tilting his head to the side, he leaned on the support of the chair. _Where I won't need to come here everyday,_ the blurred family picture passed through his tracks of memories. _Where I won't seek a new place,_ the Generation of Miracles – he put in so much effort. It was the first place where he felt like he was at home, and he tried to protect it – guard it from all dangers, all kinds of adversaries and obstacles. Unfortunately, there were issues and conflicts that simply couldn't be protected just because of how tall you were, or how much effort you put into it. _Where I won't need to glue someone's feelings together so that they won't break…_ He opened his eyes and stared at his rough palm. Kuroko Tetsuya – he had never in his life, seen someone that appeared so fragile, so vulnerable, but someone that just gave their all in whatever they did. She remained positive and enthusiastic and passionate, even when all the others had lost all interest. He admired that. It was something he would never accomplish. _Glue it… and shatter it myself again…_

He fumbled through his bag with one hand, looking for his phone. The rectangular object felt oddly small in his hands. He clicked on his contact list, and scrolled downward until he found the name 'Kuroko Tetsuya'.

 _[Do you really want to delete this number?]_

Exhaling a rather hot breath that contained more than just carbon dioxide released from his lips.

 _[Yes.]_

"Sorry, Kuro-chin…"

 _I messed up._

 _Again._

* * *

" _Shintaro."_

 _Click._

" _What school are you thinking about attending after your graduation? Visited any?"_

 _Click._

"I'm going to Shutoku." Midorima answered stoically – high school was much less of his current concerns. He was confident about passing the qualification exam of the said high school, and was more focused on resolving other problematic issues he was forced to face. "Mother, where is Shizuka attending after she graduates?"

" _Shutoku Junior high."_

"I see. Good decision." An awkward pause flew between the mother and son.

" _Will you visit the hospital sometime?"_

Pursing his lips together to form a thin line, Midorima averted his eyes to his door. "Not soon."

" _That was incredibly rude of me to ask you, wasn't it? You have important matches and finals and prep exams coming up… sorry, Shintaro. I'll go now. Please take good care of your father."_ The line went dead, and he tossed his phone back down on his sheets.

It wasn't that he didn't want to visit his hospitalized mother. It was just the location. If he did go, then inevitably, he would encounter his father. And he didn't want that to occur – such tiresome events were better off avoiding.

Perhaps, it was childish of him to place such hatred within the roots of the relationship with his father. However, he wasn't much of an arbitrary person – he had proper reasoning of why he felt so strongly. It was merely a typical story of how a workaholic father cared less about his spouse, and left her when she needed him the most. His mother was always weak and fragile to begin with, and his incessant departures had left her stressed, having to raise two kids on her own. Not to mention, the Midorima family was a prestigious family that had maintained the title of medical fame for ages. To keep up that reputation must've put immense pressure on her shoulders. In the end, his mother fell, and it was concluded that she had been suffering with osteoarthritis. She had difficulties moving around by herself – and she had been soon transported to their hospital. Just then, his father had decided to divorce his mother, saying that he didn't want her to be a major disturbance in his work.

 _Despicable_. Midorima heaved a sigh. Suddenly, his phone rang again.

It was Murasakibara.

" _Mido-chin?"_

It was rare for the purple head to contact him during the weekend. "Murasakibara, what is it?"

" _I want to talk to you shortly. Can I meet you at the café we were at last time?"_

"Café?"

" _You know, the one where we met at Christmas Eve or something."_ Midorima thought about it for a while – he was free, and had completed all his workload for the day. He couldn't see or create an excuse of why he could not go, as much as he desired to refuse the giant's request.

"Fine." His voice strained, the green head replied. "But make it short."

Murasakibara didn't even respond to that, and hung up.

Pulling his light brown sweater from his closet, Midorima changed into his white turtleneck shirt and black pants. Silently closing the door to his room, he stole a glance at his father's office, and exited the house without another word.

It was pretty chilly outside, despite the fact that it was mid-summer. A considerable amount of time had passed ever since the complete breakdown of the Generation of Miracles had occurred. Akashi seemed like a new person in existence, and Murasakibara had isolated himself from the rest of the group (as if he wasn't isolated enough). Kise had drifted on, switching sides every now and then, as Aomine just disappeared from practices and games. Kuroko no longer talked to any of them unless absolutely necessary. Everything flowed this way, as if it had always been so.

Pushing open the door of the café, Midorima stepped inside, his hands in his pockets. Murasakibara was easy to spot in the unoccupied area, with his height and appearance. He had already proceeded to ordering a cup of mocha, as he had ordered something for Midorima. In which the green frowned, because he disliked other people choosing what he ate.

"You called?" Midorima sat down, and drowned his words of complaint as he saw that Murasakibara selected the month's special red bean soup for him. "It's so uncommon, for you to invite me in such mannerisms."

"I'm aware of that." Murasakibara grunted, leaning back down more comfortably on his chair. "I just… felt the necessity to report something to you."

"Is that so." Sipping his soup cautiously, the shooting guard savored the sweet, traditional flavor of the beverage. "I never realized that we were so close, you and I."

Twitching, Murasakibara held his chocolate milkshake tightly in his hands. "We _aren't_." But then his shoulders relaxed, as if the anger and infuriation was seeping out of his skin. "It was an inclination of the sort. It was Mido-chin who suggested the idea to me, after all."

Midorima listened, which the latter took as a signal to continue.

"I decided to cut ties with Kuro-chin." He said, and Midorima frowned. "The reason of me wanting to defeat Akashi lied in the core of my desire of wanting to bring the Generation of Miracles together. Kuro-chin was supposed to be the mere glue that stuck us together, and yet…" He twisted his lips to the side. "I got her involved too much in the process. I knew I needed to take responsibility somehow, which was why I…" He trailed off a little. "Well, anyway. I decided to cut ties with her."

"What do you gain from that?" Midorima inquired, not able to comprehend the purpose of his actions.

"Nothing, I guess." Murasakibara exhaled a breath of exhaustion – it was evident he had been stressing over this issue for quite a while. "I give up on trying to bring us together. It's not going to work anyway." Pause. "Ne, Mido-chin, I'm thinking about moving to Akita next year for high school. Yosen high school."

"Akita?" Midorima furrowed his brows. "That is quite far from here, isn't it?"

"It's five hours by train." Gaping, Midorima doubted his ears. "But I'm going to move. Of course, this incident is not the only cause of why I made such a decision, but after thorough contemplation, I decided this was for the best."

"But that's not solving anything." Midorima objected, "Focus on the problem, Murasakibara – what does eluding do?"

Now Murasakibara looked irritated. "Like I said, it does nothing. That's my point. I have no plans on making up for this, yes, it is my fault that Aka-chin's like that right now, and I apologize to downright tell you this, but I can't care any further. I don't think I'd able to handle more of this situation, as stupid as that sounds."

"At least you know it." Folding his arms, Midorima grumbled. "You're not the only one that's feeling distressed. Every one of us is. Just suck it up and –"

"I'm _trying_." The usually infantile male argued. "I tried. I endured all this time, just because I had a goal. You know it's impossible Mido-chin. You're smart enough to figure that out by yourself."

Painstakingly, Midorima agreed somewhere deep beneath. It was true. It was impossible to revert to their old selves. They have all come too far. "So you're saying, that since it's impossible, you're just going to chicken out of this dire situation?"

Murasakibara went wordless at that. It was not until after a few good seconds that he responded. "… It's not my business anymore."

Rage flashed within Midorima's eyes. He stood up, the chair violently screeching against the floor as he did so. "It was a mistake to take up your invitation today." He murmured under his breath. "I'll be going." His voice was cold, like a layer of ice. The lukewarm red bean soup was still in the mug, as Murasakibara placed his milkshake on the round table.

"That's another tie cut..."

* * *

 _Are you satisfied?_

"Satisfied?" A somewhat chilly laugh echoed throughout the mansion. "Satisfied, indeed! I've finally obtained what I desired for so long, Akashi. Do you understand?"

 _I wouldn't. I can't comprehend your thoughts._

"That's pretty comical, considering the fact that we are the same person." The red head smirked, "I mean, it's paranormal, judging by this mere circumstance. Any sane human being would think you'd gone mad… No, would it be me? Us?" The rectified Akashi – his second persona – smiled discreetly.

 _We may physically be the same person. But otherwise, I refuse to accept the fact that you are me. Because you are not, Seijuro._

"Oh, but we are, Akashi." Seijuro slumped down on his leather chair. "You and I are very much the same person – even mentally. I'm just your different persona… Like I said, you just need to stay put, and everything will go as planned. I am stronger than you, and you are aware of that."

 _I acknowledge your strength, but not your personality as an individual._

"Says the me that has been undergoing daddy issues." Rolling his eyes, Seijuro twisted on the chair as he placed his wrist on the armrest. Then he paused for a second, as if he had remembered something. "By the way, who's that girl you have a crush on again? Tetsuya?"

… _Why would you want to know?_

"Well, it is bothersome if there is a physical reaction when I see her. But I have met her throughout practice and nothing of the sort occurred, so I suppose we are fine." Tapping his finger on the plastic surface, Seijuro closed his eyes.

 _Darkness enveloped the other. Another red head – another Akashi Seijuro._

 _No, was it the 'previous' Akashi Seijuro?_

" _What do you want?" Akashi mumbled quietly, a shadow looming over his head as he crouched in the corner. "If you wish to converse with me, just do it naturally. Just like you took over my body."_

" _You mean_ our _body?" Seijuro stifled another laugh. "Sorry, that was rather ill-humored. I just find your reaction incredibly hilarious."_

 _The other Akashi was silent as his newly revealed persona now spoke to him, him being the one in the spotlight, and now him in the darkness. The trap was that they were both Akashi Seijuro, and that was all what people seemed to care about._

" _If you're concerned about what I'd do to Tetsuya, no worries. I won't touch her, or mess with her. Your desire is my desire, after all." Seijuro shrugged, but Akashi still remained quiet in the pitch-black vicinity. "Although, it is rather unfathomable to me of why you liked her, out of all girls with high intellect and grace in this school. So many better options were present, so why her?" Then he added, "You are like a me that I do not recognize."_

" _I can say the same thing back to you." Akashi replied, his head still stooped low. But then he looked up to face his other self._

" _She was my Light."_

" _And?" Tilting his head to the right, Seijuro raised his left brow. "What else is so significant about her existence?"_

 _Akashi did not answer._

* * *

 **A/N: Terrible place to end, I know. But hey, I tried.**

 **This chapter was supposed to provide some small clues that would assist the plot of the sequel to this story. For example, if you are still like, "So… how did Murasakibara get to care about Kuroko?" Don't worry, you aren't supposed to know fully yet. In fact, I don't plan on uncovering many secrets until the sequel, so please stay tuned!**

 **As I said above, I don't expect a lot of feedback from this chapter. But trust me, this chapter does matter. It'd be great if you guys can tell me how it was, even just a little.**

 **Anyway, thank you!**

 **Meiko**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hi guys, I'm back – at the moment. Midterms were bugging me, and then it ran over me, and then it took me to a mental hospital and slaughtered me. Well, many other things happened – and I can tell you, that it wasn't a very happy week for me, or my school in general. Long story short, there was a funeral, everyone was crying, bleh.**

 **Anyway.**

 **Looking at the brighter side of things, here is an update! I think my next one would be around Christmas Eve or Christmas. Unfortunately, no, there will not be a Christmas special. But this story is almost over anyway, so I wonder if it matters, really. By story, of course, I mean the first book (this one).**

 **Also, thanks for the immense amount of support, guys! I actually started posting this story on AO3 as well, so if you want to check it out there (although I don't see a reason why to do so since I'm way more active here), then please feel free to do so.**

 **Hm… Maybe in this chapter, a little bit of Kuroko's backstory will be revealed?**

 **Here goes nothing!**

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

" _If I say that I broke you for the sake of your safety, would you believe me?"_

"Shogo, stop dilly-dallying around the house and get your ass moving!"

"But mom, it's a –"

"A fucking Saturday, yes, I know, honey. But does that give you a valid excuse to sit your butt around this dirty room the whole weekend? NO! Go make some friends, enjoy puberty! Now, off you go! Don't come back till five, get it?"

"But mom, it's a –"

"Oh, and would you buy some codfish on the way back? I'm thinking about trying out this new recipe I discovered on the internet. Mankind creates such wondrous inventions, don't you agree? Now, have a nice day, sonny~!" His mom threw him her fake cherubic smile, while pushing off the doorway as she dabbed a few bills at him. The door slammed in front of his face, and he heard the lock turn with a definitive 'click'.

 _Damn it all._ Haizaki Shogo was in the worst of moods. He _felt_ like doing absolutely nothing, and _desired_ to do absolutely nothing, and in fact, _was_ doing absolutely nothing until his mom decided to call out on him.

Why does he feel this way, you ask?

That's a good question.

It was a good question that he, himself, didn't feel like answering.

It had been approximately a week ever since he had witnessed Kuroko crying under the rain. And ever since, none of them had dared uttered a single word about it. Maybe it was because both of them were more than willing to avoid that topic. Topic, as in looking at a wide spectrum – the Generation of Miracles, that particular incident, and even basketball. All came as thorns and needles to the girl, and for him.

There wasn't a change or a missing fragment in their relationship, though. They were same as always, walking back home together, drinking milkshakes at Maji Burger, and conversing about stupid, trivial things that nobody else cared about. That was what he hated about it. That was what made him feel so sour. He didn't want the girl to put up a cover about everything. He wanted Kuroko to be… simply Kuroko. She didn't need to pretend like she was happy or fucking whatnot – she just had to be her. Man, she was pretty bad at putting up a cover, too. She'd be better off without one.

"Now, where should I go…" Glancing around the busy streets, Haizaki stuffed his hands in his pockets. Then looking down at his attire, he sighed heavily. He was wearing a 'I love Rainbow Dash' shirt. Curse his brother for being a 'My Little Pony' fan.

Mindlessly strolling around, he passed a high school – he squinted his eyes at the kanji print. It was shiny – a new school, probably. "Sei… Seirin." He read aloud, and then poked his head through the gates. _I haven't seen them around two years ago._ He thought to himself, as he casually walked past campus. "It's still one… Shit."

Perhaps, he should've concentrated a little on socializing with people other than the female, as he realized that he had nobody to contact with times like these. Kuroko was at home, but her parents returned from their business trip after a very long time, and therefore he had no intentions of bothering their reunion for the next week or so. On his contact list, there were literally less than ten numbers – and that was his parents, his brother, Kuroko, Nijimura, and some random girls that he had yet to delete.

 _Well, texting wouldn't hurt, right?_ He clicked on his unused social media app – he had downloaded it ages ago, created an account, but never touched it – even once. He had less than 20 friends – pitiful.

 _ **[Haizaki Shogo is now online.]**_

 _ **[Nijimura Shuzou is now online.]**_

 _ **Haizaki: Shuzou**_

 _ **Nijimura: Shogo? It's rare, for you to be online.**_

 _ **Haizaki: Ik**_

 _ **Nijimura: Well, what do you need? I have class in twenty minutes.**_

 _ **Haizaki: Its Saturday tho**_

 _ **Nijimura: Extra classes. Anyway, if you have nothing to ask, then I'll be doing something actually productive rather than conversing with you.**_

 _ **[Haizaki: What do you]**_ Haizaki reconsidered this question. He erased it, and rephrased it.

 _ **Haizaki: What do you do when you want to punch someone?**_

 _ **Nijimura: …**_

 _ **Nijimura: Punch them, obviously.**_

 _ **Haizaki: Even when that person is important to somebody else?**_

 _ **Nijimura: But does that person treat the other person likewise? Is the feeling mutual?**_

Contemplating for quite a while on this, Haizaki typed back his response.

 _ **Haizaki: Not really.**_

 _ **Nijimura: Then it doesn't matter. Punch who you want. Not my business, anyway.**_

 _ **Haizaki: Alright. Got it.**_

For the next minute or so, Nijimura had read his message, but haven't replied. But then, a new answer was displayed on his screen.

 _ **Nijimura: I'm planning to return to Japan for the Nationals. I'll be looking forward to seeing all of your improvements and progression in basketball.**_

It was then that the younger had realized that he hadn't informed the former captain of his departure from the club. But he didn't want to talk about it, either.

 _ **Haizaki: Wtv**_

 _ **Nijimura: I'll go now. Have a nice day, Shogo.**_

 _ **[Nijimura Shuzou is now offline.]**_

Slumping down on a nearby bench, Haizaki stretched out his legs and gazed at the flowing formation of clouds. The organization of fluffs weren't white, but gray – just like his hair color. But then blinding sunlight interrupted his view, and he instinctively shielded his eyes with his right hand, shoving his phone back into his pocket. _It's so sickeningly bright…_ With a cluck of his tongue, he shut his eyelids and let his hand fall beside him. "So sickeningly bright."

"Me?"

An oddly cheery voice chirped, and the gray-haired male snapped his enclosed eyes open. His vision was blurry, the colors blended for the first few seconds – until it transformed into a solitary shape, and then a firm, rigid outline of a human being.

Of course, it was no one other than Kise Ryouta.

"Ryouta." Haizaki grunted, burying his face in his hands. "What are you doing here?"

"Running for another shift at my modeling agency." The blonde flashed a gaudy smile at him, professional seductiveness dripping from his thick tone. "I could ask you the same question, Haizaki- _kun_." Haizaki did not fail to miss Kise's absence of the respective suffix. Not like he cared – he didn't want to be acknowledged by anyone else, especially Kise.

Standing up, the delinquent-like other merely cracked his neck, attempting to get rid of the uncomfortable stiffness. "I was chased out of my own fucking house." He abridged the explanation, just stating the absolutely necessary details. Kise hummed a little, as he scanned Haizaki head to toe.

"'I love Rainbow Dash' –"

"Shut your crap, Ryouta." He grumbled, hunching his back in desperation of disguising the more than embarrassing logo on his shirt into something else. Kise, however, trailed behind him, skipping as he adjusted the position of his sunglasses. "I thought you had a shift to run?"

The small forward beamed, throwing his arms into the air with much sass. "I have time to spare. And you seem pretty bored, so I can keep you company."

That was pretty true, but Haizaki wasn't in need of the companionship of a rookie model that looked gay with an earring. But judging by the overall aura of the said rookie model, it didn't look like he was planning to leave if ordered, so he instantly gave up on taking any action.

Kise pretty much continued an equally uninteresting prattle session about his exponentially increasing number of fans, as well as how much of a lucrative business this occupation actually proved to be, for a middle schooler, that is. Haizaki pretty much listened with one ear, and let it fly away through the other ear.

That was most definitely why he didn't notice the sudden silence that had befallen on his shoulders, along with Kise's solemn expression as he lowered his cap, not uttering a single word as he merely followed Haizaki through the milling district. "Hey, Haizaki-kun," the addressing of his name didn't really enrapture his attention either. "You are in love with Kurokocchi, aren't you?"

"Yeah, yeah- wait, what?" He spluttered – he wasn't expecting that – at all.

"Sorry, I know that was sudden. And I already know your answer, so I suppose it was quite superfluous of me to question you like that. Nevertheless, I wanted to hear your response. That's all." Kise sent him a challenging glance – almost as if to stimulate his inner violence. The tantalizing expression of the blonde ticked him off. It seemed to be saying: 'you can't do it, can't you? You wouldn't be able to accept it. _She_ wouldn't be able to accept it.'

After an extensive pause, Haizaki said, "Yeah, I do."

Kise's eyes widened a little. Astonishment was evident in his beautiful golden eyes. However, Haizaki didn't feel an ounce of satisfaction or gratification by his reaction – he felt absolutely nothing. This was merely a revelation – his feelings towards the girl were not to be taken as something that was meant to make _him_ feel better – he wanted his love to be used to make _her_ feel better. Not for the sake of gaining unrecognized victory over Kise, or for the sake of his vengeance against Aomine.

"… Why?"

Why? Now that was comical question.

He might've said this before- no, he most definitely have said this before – Kuroko Tetsuya was not the cutest, the smartest, the sexiest, or even the most ideal girl an average boy would want. She was short (shorter than any average girl her age), she had a flat chest (a considerable shame, he had to admit to a certain extent), she was so average to the point where it was phenomenal, and was painfully quiet.

But there were so many wondrous qualities about her that easily countered all those points.

"She's persistent, and a hard worker." To be honest, Haizaki didn't care about such things. He didn't find someone like that essential in his life – sure, he respected people with that kind of personality, but he never wanted someone like that. But Kuroko Tetsuya was different. She was… she was just completely different that way. "She's always manages to remain positive, and that virus spreads to others. She knows how to embrace people for who they are. But to just cut this long explanation," He turned around to face Kise, who had stopped walking some time ago.

"She's my Light. That's all there is to it."

Kise smirked, with a slightly melancholy tint painting his expression. "And? Do you desire to become her shadow?"

"No."

Again, the model's face changed into something that possessed the semblance of puzzlement. Haizaki continued.

"There's no point in that Light-Shadow shit. This isn't rocket science, Ryouta, it's just something people labeled as emotions and is specifically defined as love. Love has to be equal, equally growing and equally sharing. Not one overpowering the other once they get stronger. I can't have it work that way."

"Then what will you do?" Kise asked, "Hurt her, just like the other two did?" _No…_ The blonde lowered the level of his eyes as he faced the cement ground. _No… just like… how_ we _did?_

The gray-haired middle schooler shrugged. "I'll be her Light too. Simple."

"Hah." Releasing a half-hearted laugh, Kise's lips curled upward. "That's illogical."

"Whatever you say."

* * *

"Anyway, Spain was beautiful. The weather was cool, and the roads were wide – very comparable to Japan, I'd say."

Kuroko Tetsuya was listening to her father's story about her parents' business trip to Spain. Last time they had been sent to France, and the one before that they had went to Russia. She loved hearing them recite their experiences, the structures they saw, the food they ate, and all that. Her parents were always occupied with some sort of task, and it was extremely scarce that she ever received such moments to speak with them.

"Oh, right." Her father paused, and slid some postcards, as well as a small envelope that was bounded with a glittery, gold ribbon. "Here are some postcards. I thought you'd like them." She stared at them for a while, blinked, and then reached out hesitantly towards the small, rectangular envelope and the postcards she usually received.

"Thank you." She slowly put on a complacent smile, strained and forced. She could expect what was in the envelope. Her mother entered the living room with a tray of desserts and tea.

Placing the tray on the table, her mother sat down on the floor and sipped her tea. "So Tetsuya, how is school?"

"It's good." She tried to sound as assuring as possible. "I… made some new friends –"

"And your studies?" Her father turned on the television, and switched the channel to the daily news. "I received your report card for your previous semester. Your grades hardly improve, Tetsuya, you need to step up your game."

"Now darling, that's not something to say to our daughter. Such pressure is unnecessary." The older woman defended her daughter, but then soon dropped her guard. "But yes, to a certain extent, I do agree. How about we get you a tutor, Tetsuya?"

Kuroko effortlessly answered without missing a beat. "No need, mother. I can manage by myself."

"But we are suggesting this because we think you can't, Tetsuya." The reporter was muttering something on the screen, and her father's eyes were fixated on it. She found no significance about the woman in the mechanic device, but her father seemed to have reached a conclusion that the reporter was more interesting than her.

"… I'll go back to my room." None of her parents replied to her statement as she walked out with her 'presents'.

Uncoiling the ribbon, she saw exactly what she had expected. There were twenty notes in there, all money. Nothing else. Just money.

They had always been like this. No – that was an inaccurate description. They hadn't been like this, until she got into _that_ accident. They grew distant, they avoided her, they stepped away from her, they never crossed the line as parents of caring for their children, and only made sure that she was safe and living in Japan, receiving acceptable grades as she went to school.

There was nothing else they were particularly concerned about.

She didn't want money. Money was the last thing she wanted. No matter how small, how petty something was – she wanted something other than paper bills. Something other than…

 _Forget it._ She heaved a sigh, as she flopped on her bed, her head facing the ceiling. Unplugging her phone from her charger, she twisted to her left and turned the device on. Then her eyes trailed to the time – it was 7:39. Not too late, not too early.

Biting down on her bottom lip, the teal-haired female tightened her grip on her phone and inhaled a trembling breath that tasted stale and slightly bitter in her mouth.

 _ **To: Haizaki Shogo**_

 _ **From: Me**_

 _ **Subject: Untitled**_

 _ **I miss you.**_

She mentally laughed at her own text. They had literally met two days ago at school. Why did she miss him? She had no valid reason to.

 _[Send.]_

She wasn't expecting an answer. Of course, Haizaki usually kept a vacant schedule during the weekends, but she had to consider the fact that he too, had a life just like she did. He at some point had to be preoccupied with his own issues. He didn't have all the time in the world, to simply care about someone like her all the time.

Was this called 'leeching off'? Was she trying to fulfill this unknown hunger, this emptiness, and this void by taking advantage of Haizaki's gentle concerns? If so, she was a despicable human being.

She fondled with the bed sheets, until her phone beeped.

 _ **To: Me**_

 _ **From: Haizaki Shogo**_

 _ **Subject: Untitled**_

 _ **Re: I'll be there in five minutes.**_

She almost doubted her ability to see. Blinking once, then twice, the girl sat up straight on her bed, trying to process what had just happened. _Did he just-_ she knew it. She should've never sent that message, no matter what. This small emotional turmoil was just so trivial that there was no point in calling Haizaki out at this time during the evening.

And yet- and yet, the next second, she discovered herself dressing hurriedly into her light green hoodie and jeans, grabbing her phone and wallet as she headed towards her front door.

"Tetsuya, honey?" Her mother frowned, "Do you realize what time it is?"

"Yes," she frantically answered, her voice's volume louder than usual. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm meeting Sho- I mean, Haizaki-kun."

"Ah." The older woman sounded relieved at that. "Alright, take your time."

Kuroko couldn't help but notice that her father hadn't sent her any words of regards. But she quickly left her house, and rushed downstairs to see the gray-haired male.

Haizaki Shogo was waiting for her under the usual tree they stood around after school. She couldn't suppress a smile when she saw the childish, girly logo of the 'My Little Pony' franchise on his shirt. His brother really loved it. The male smirked when he saw her approaching him. "What, puberty hit you like a truck?" He asked, flicking his finger.

"No, I just genuinely wanted to see you." She realized that this was the truth while saying this. She really did want to see him. Seeing Haizaki provided her a sense of deliverance, freedom, and… serenity. The boy seemed slightly taken aback by this bold declaration of feelings, but soon recomposed himself as he rolled his eyes.

Then the girl caught sight of the slightly swollen fist of the male. "What happened?"

"Oh, this?" Haizaki shrugged, "I got into some stupid brawl. Some shitty dude came up with a gang."

"Are you alright?" Worry was blotched all over her voice, her tone, her expression, her everything. Haizaki saw this, twisted his lips to the right a little, and then huffed.

"I'm not weak. Don't underestimate me like that." He grumbled, waving his swollen hand back and forth in the air to prove that he was totally fine. "It doesn't even hurt, and I'm dead serious. How many times do you think I've gotten into fights?"

Kuroko shook her head in dissent. "Please don't say it as if you're proud of it."

"But I _am_." Haizaki stressed, emphasizing his point. But then he realized that they were going off-track, and changed the subject. "Anyway, how are your parents? I think the last time I met them in person was like," he counted off the number of months on his fingers, "6 months ago? I literally can't do math."

Her lips automatically parted – and her primary instinct was to tell Haizaki the truth. No, nothing went well. Her father gave her the usual present, and he probably didn't even realize that he was presenting her identical objects every single year. Her mother always acted as if she was on her side, but always supported her father instead. None of them desired to acquire further knowledge about her, or her school life. All they wanted to know was the basics normal parents needed when others questioned them about their child. She wasn't only invisible to the average human eye, but also her parents. That was who she was.

But no, she couldn't say that. So her lips sealed away the words, and the syllables drowned in her throat, air flowing down her windpipe as she forced herself to hold back the sentences. How could she bear the guilt of providing this boy in front of her, who seriously came to her just because she missed him, was willing to listen to her when she rambled, contained more interest than anyone else when it came to her – how could she do that to him? She couldn't – that was it. She couldn't.

"It was fine." Whispering, the lies seeped out of the thin space between her lips. "My father gave me some postcards, and we talked about his trip. They went to Spain this time."

Haizaki nodded. "Heh."

She talked on and on for a while, trying to fake her life to Haizaki. He just heeded every one of her words, holding onto every single detail.

And just like that, he stayed by her side.

* * *

[ **This takes place before Haizaki and Kuroko meet above.** ]

 _About time to go home, then._ The codfish in his hands, Haizaki outstretched his arms and stifled a yawn. He was exhausted after that paranoid conversation with Kise, and even so after being forced to tag along on his model shift. It was not an experience he wanted to be a part of ever again, was one thing he knew for certain.

He strolled thoughtlessly through the alleys of town, whistling a tune of some theme song that he couldn't remember the title of. The slightly moist, fishy plastic bag was swinging in all directions he could possibly imagine by his right, and his phone was vibrating for quite a while ever since a few minutes ago – Hasaya, his brother, was fussing over the fact that he needed to buy the new gravure magazine that featured Horikichi Mai's special nudes. In which, really, he could care much less about.

It was about then – about then, that the sun began to find it's home near the surface of the ground, blazing orange as the ceiling of the sky transformed into purple, forming a fiery gradient beneath it. It was about then, that the clouds possessed a hint of pinkish orange on them, looking like a fluff of marshmallows. It was about then, that the businessmen and various people started forming in files as they shuffled systematically through the town.

It was also about then, when he spotted something, or rather someone, very unpleasant.

Aomine Daiki, whom was just casually wandering through the streets, had also stopped upon feeling somebody's sharp gaze on his body. The two stared at each other for a while, both holding no specific emotion one could pinpoint. The only deduction that could possibly be made was that the stares were cold, and the two boys had felt absolutely nothing for one another. Not anger, not vengeance, not pity, not anything.

"… What are you doing here?"

"Likewise." Haizaki answered, raising his chin a little. It was not in an attempt to appear intimidating – it was a sign of annoyance. He was terribly aggravated by the sight of Aomine Daiki. The indigo-haired forward just narrowed his brows a little, and then tried to walk past him as if nothing happened.

Haizaki didn't let that scenario play out well.

Grabbing Aomine's shoulder, he squeezed it.

"Funny, isn't it?" The former basketball player sneered, "The last time we met here, you were declaring your love for Kuroko Tetsuya to me."

He could sense the muscles of Aomine tighten dangerously at the mention of her name. "… Does it really matter now?"

His nonchalant attitude, his casual behavior, and his somewhat cocky, reserved personality – every fucking quality about this man pissed Haizaki Shogo off. "Of course it does." He growled, his voice rumbling alongside with the air in the atmosphere.

"Do you know what Tetsuya likes to eat? What she likes to drink? What she likes to do? How she spends time during the weekends? During the weekdays? How much she loathes playing basketball now? How much suffering and agony she had to undergo all because of you toying with her fucking emotions?" Haizaki took one step, then another, pinning Aomine towards the wall as he dropped the plastic bag he was holding to the ground, not even noticing that it had fallen.

Aomine on the other hand, didn't say anything. This only fueled Haizaki's infuriation.

"You had no right to claim her as yours." Haizaki hissed, a flare visible in his eyes as he spoke with venom in his mouth. "You had no right to like her." He paused, then repeated, glowering. He hated Aomine Daiki. He despised him. He loathed him. "You had _absolutely_ no right."

The power forward's expression was unchanging as he turned away from Haizaki.

"I never did."

Haizaki Shogo couldn't even comprehend himself, what had occurred right after Aomine had said that. Maybe he was just holding back, or maybe it was out of natural, animalistic instinct that dwelled in his body. The only fact he could actually state with confidence was that Aomine was sprawled on the ground, his cheek was red, and that Haizaki was panting, not out of exhaustion, but with an overwhelming amount of adrenaline and resentment and detestation.

"You motherfucker." He spat, turning on his heels as he retrieved the plastic bag from the ground. His whole body still trembled with uncontrollable rage running through his veins, hot blood pumping all over his body.

But then, his phone vibrated. It was probably his brother. But he felt inclined to check this one – so he did.

 _ **To: Me**_

 _ **From: Kuroko Tetsuya**_

 _ **Subject: Untitled**_

 _ **I miss you.**_

He didn't know what caused it. All anger diminished from his soul and system, and he was only left with calm and a sense of peace, as well as a steadily beating pulse.

' _ **I'll be there in five minutes.'**_

* * *

 **A/N: OH MY GOD I WANTED TO WRITE THIS SCENE SO MUCH**

… **I literally waited 18 chapters to write that one punching scene. God, thank you. This took me like, 11 months.**

 **Anyway, 'Their Light, Their Shadow' has about… three to five more chapters. Please stay tuned, and please leave some commentary! Criticism is well-accepted!**

 **Meiko**


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